PYLORUS - slide 125 (cat)

The mucosal glands of the pyloric portion of the stomach, like those in the cardiac portion, have relatively long pits and coiled secretory portions.  Look for an area where the pits have been cut fairly straight along their whole length, so as to see their full extent.  Isolated lymphatic nodules may be found in the mucosa.  Check for the presence of all of the layers typical of the gastrointestinal tract.  Is your section a cross or longitudinal cut of the pylorus? (Which layer gives the clue?)

Some of the longitudinal cuts include the pyloric sphincter and the beginning of the duodenum.  Check for the presence of an unusually thick band of circular smooth muscle in the muscularis externa (the pyloric sphincter) and for the possible presence of the duodenal villi and submucosal glands.