Figure 1.

Superficial fascia layer of the abdomen. (A) Formalin-fixed sample of the abdominal region, from skin (E: epidermis, D: dermis) to the superficial fascia (SF). (B) Hematoxylin and eosin stain of all the layers from skin (E: epidermis, D: dermis), to the deep adipose tissue (DAT). The superficial fascia (SF) is the fibrous layer localized between the superficial adipose tissue (SAT, organized in lobules separated by the fibrous septa of the retinacula cutis, RC) and the deep adipose tissue (DAT). The SF highlighted in (A) is isolated from the SAT and the DAT (C) and stained by Hematoxylin and Eosin (D). Panel (D) is a tangential section of the flat embedded SF as in (C). Histologically the SF layer if formed by a net of collagen fibers arranged irregularly (c: connective tissue), interconnected and mixed with adipocytes (a) and crossed by blood vessels (v). Scale Bars = 3 mm.