Intrinsic vascularization of granuloma in experimental paracoccidioidomycosis

ABSTRACT

Rats infected with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis exhibited vascularized granulomas during the granulomatous stage, with more intensity on the 49 th day after infection. These data change the classical belief that the granuloma is always an avascular structure. The authors suggest that the granuloma is under the balanced influence of angiogenic or angiostatic factors, with the usual predominance of the latter, with the consequent advantage of limited antigen diffusion to the vascular system