Coagulative necrosis implies preservation of the basic outline of the coagulated cell for a span of at least some days. The affected tissues exhibit a firm texture.

Presumably, the injury or the subsequent increasing intracellular acidosis denatures not only structural proteins but also enzymes and so blocks the proteolysis of the cell.

The myocardial infarct is an excellent example in which acidophilic, coagulated, anucleate cells may persist for weeks.

Ultimately, the necrotic myocardial cells are removed by fragmentation and phagocytosis of the cellular debris by scavenger leukocytes and by the action of proteolytic lysosomal enzymes brought in by the immigrant white cells.

The process of coagulative necrosis, with preservation of the general tissue architecture, is characteristic of hypoxic death of cells in all tissues except the brain.

See also

 Necrosis

• ischemic necrosis

References

 Robbins