Pathologic features of ulegyria in refractory epilepsy by modified anatomic hemispherectomy: a clinicopathologic study of 39 cases / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinicopathologic features of the brain tissue diagnosed as ulegyria from modified anatomic hemispherectomy for refractory epilepsy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical and pathologic findings were reviewed in 39 patients who underwent modified anatomic hemispherectomy and diagnosed as ulegyria in the Epilepsy Center of Tsinghua University Yuquan Hospital from 2007 to 2011.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All patients including 30 males and 9 females had medically intractable seizures, and the mean age of seizure onset and disease duration were 4.0 years and 7.3 years respectively. Significant history included febrile seizure in 14 patients (35.9%), cerebral hemorrhage in 8 patients (20.5%), fetal distress and surgical trauma each in 6 patients (15.4%), vascular malformation and cerebral hemorrhage in 1 patient (2.6%), and unclear history in 4 patients (10.2%). Histologically, all cases were characterized by cortical destruction, with neuronal loss and gliosis. All cases were accompanied by varying degree of cortical dysplasia, which were diagnosed as focal cortical dysplasia IIId. Hippocampus sclerosis was identified in 2 cases. Seizure outcome after surgery revealed 37 patients (94.9%) had an Engel grade I, two patients (5.1%) had an Engel grade II.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Febrile seizure, cerebral hemorrhage, fetal distress and surgical trauma in childhood can lead to refractory epilepsy. Histopathological change in the brain is ulegyria accompanied by focal cortical dysplasia IIId. Modified anatomic hemispherectomy is an effective therapy to treat those patients with extensive changes of one hemisphere.</p>

Clinicopathologic and radiologic features of dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinicopathologic features and radiologic findings of dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical presentations, radiologic findings, histologic features and immunophenotype of 9 cases of DNT were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The age of patients ranged from 12 to 51 years (mean age = 32 years). Most presented with partial seizures, sometimes accompanied by transient aphasia, agraphia and decreased visual acuity. One case was asymptomatic and discovered incidentally during a routine check-up. All patients had no neurological deficit found on physical examination. All tumors were located in the supratentorial cerebral cortex. There was no peritumoral edema or space-occupying effect on radiologic examination. The tumors involved either frontal lobe (number = 4), temporal lobe (number = 4), frontoparietal lobe (number = 1) . Two cases showed cystic changes. Two histologic variants of DNT were recognized: simple (number = 3) and complex (number = 6). Simple variant was composed mainly of the glioneuronal element, accompanied by surrounding oligodendrocyte-like cells, and the complex variant contained a low-grade glioma component, in addition to the glioneuronal element and sometimes foci of cortical dysplasia.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>DNT is a benign tumor with excellent prognosis after surgical excision. Local recurrence is rare. Complex variant of DNT needs to be distinguished from other types of low-grade glioma.</p>

Morphological and quantatitive capillary changes in aging human brain / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate morphological changes of capillary in aging brain and explore the role of vascular factor in brain aging.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-eight brains of individuals (mean age 65 years) who died without clinical or pathological involvement of nervous system and 6 brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients (mean age 83 years) were obtained at autopsy. Sections from frontal lobe, occipital lobe, striatum and hippocampus of normal subjects and sections from hippocampus of AD patients were used for hematoxylin eosin (HE), lox fast blue (LFB), toluidine blue stains and ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA) immunostaining. After observations of morphological changes of neuron and capillary, computer-aid image analysis was performed to quantify numerical density and area density of neuron and capillary in frontal lobe, occipital lobe, putamen, CA3 sector of normal subjects and CA3 sector of AD patients. Numerical ratio and area ratio of neuron and capillary were then calculated. Correlations between neuron/capillary ratio and age were estimated using Pearson's correlation test. Difference of neuron/capillary ratio in CA3 sectors between AD patients and advanced aged normal subjects (> 75 years) was analyzed with Student's t-test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Several pathological microvascular changes, including increased tortuosity, looping, bundling, stringing, and effacement of endothelia were seen in aged subjects and more prevalent in AD patients. Numerical ratio and area ratio of neuron and capillary of frontal lobe, occipital lobe and putamen significantly increased with age in normal aging subjects.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Morphological changes and relative decrease in number and capacity of capillary in aging brain may reduce cerebral blood flow and metabolism, and consequently result in functional impairment of aging brain. Vascular factors may play an important role in the development of brain aging.</p>

Glial abnormalities in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study pathologic features of glial cells in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and to explore their pathologic significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Brain tissues from 2 cases with PSP and 3 cases with CBD, all confirmed by autopsies, were examined by routine neuropathologic methods, Gallyas-Braak staining and tau immunostaining. Brain tissues from 6 Alzheimer's disease cases, 4 cases with Parkinson's disease and 6 elderly with no neurologic abnormality were used as controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Gallyas-Braak staining demonstrated tuft-shaped astrocytes and coiled-body oligodendroglial cells in the brain tissues of 2 cases with PSP and 3 cases with CBD. The tuft-shaped astrocytes appeared prominently in the frontal and parietal cortex, basal ganglia and grey matter of the brainstem. The coiled-body oligodendroglial cells were distributed widely in the white matter of the frontal and parietal lobes, basal ganglia, brainstem and cerebellum. However, astrocytic plaques, composed of degenerative stubby processes with radiating arrangement, only appeared in the frontal, parietal and cingular cortex, as well as in the striatum of 3 cases with CBD. The astrocytic plaques and tuft-shaped astrocytes coexisted in the same areas, including parietal and cingular cortex and striatum, in CBD. All these glial abnormalities showed tau-positive immunoreaction not found in control cases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The tuft-shaped astrocytes and coiled-body oligodendroglial cells are common glial morphologic features of both PSP and CBD. Astrocytic plaques are also characteristically seen in CBD.</p>