nekroser

Nekroser is the plural form of the noun nekrose (necrosis) in Danish and Norwegian Bokmål, used in medical texts to describe tissue death at the cellular level resulting from irreversible injury. It is distinguished from apoptosis, a regulated form of cell death, and from autolysis, tissue degradation that occurs after death.

Nekroser arise from various pathophysiological processes, most commonly ischemia or infarction, infection, toxins, trauma, or chemical injury. The affected cells typically undergo loss of membrane integrity, swelling, and characteristic nuclear changes such as pyknosis, karyorrhexis, and karyolysis. An associated inflammatory response often accompanies necrosis, especially in acute settings.

In terms of morphology, nekroser can take several forms. Coagulative necrosis preserves tissue architecture for a time, often seen in solid organs after ischemia. Liquefactive necrosis is common in the brain and abscesses. Caseous necrosis is characteristic of tuberculosis, while fat necrosis occurs in adipose-rich areas like the pancreas or breast. Fibrinoid necrosis occurs in immune-mediated vasculitis, and gangrenous necrosis describes extensive tissue death that may accompany infection.

Diagnosis and management rely on clinical context, imaging, and histopathology. While nekroser themselves are not reversible, treatment targets the underlying cause and may involve surgical debridement or removal of necrotic tissue, antibiotics for infection, or reperfusion strategies where appropriate. Prevention focuses on mitigating risk factors that lead to cellular injury.

Etymology traces nekrose to Greek nekrosis, meaning tissue death. In Danish and Norwegian usage, nekroser remains the standard plural, whereas English typically uses necroses or necrosis (singular) in most cases.