[Structural changes in the germinal matrix of the brain of fetuses and neonatal infants with ventriculomegaly and congenital hydrocephalus].

OBJECTIVE: To study structural changes in the germinal matrix (GM) in 22-to-40-week fetuses with ventriculomegaly (VM) and hydrocephalus (HC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The width of the ventricular groove was borne in mind while forming study groups (the brain in VM (n = 30), HC (n = 20)) and a comparison group (n = 30). To trace changes in GM transformation, each group was divided into 4 subgroups according to the gestational sign. Materials were excised in the projection of the lateral ventricles onto the convexital surface of the brain. After the use of conventional methods, the specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin or Nissl. RESULTS: VM was found to be characterized by the early (at 22 weeks' gestation) regionalization of glio- and neuroblasts and by the completion of GM reduction at 35 weeks of intrauterine development. In HC, GM in all ventricular system regions was preserved and its structure was virtually unchanged at 22 to 40 weeks' gestation. CONCLUSION: The found structural changes may be used as diagnostic criteria for VM and HC and to elucidate gestational age in forensic medical practice.

[Morphological changes in ventricular germinal zone and neocortex of the cerebral hemispheres in human fetuses and newborns on weeks 22-40 of prenatal development].

In this study, we investigated the morphology of the ventricular germinal zone and neocortex of the cerebral hemispheres in the projection field no. 4 of the motor area in human fetuses in dynamics from week 22 to 40 of fetal development. Morphological study allowed us to clarify the following patterns of prenatal ontogeny of the human CNS. On weeks 22-27, an intensive formation of the main sulci of the first order, differentiating the brain into lobes, is observed. By weeks 28-32, the formation of all sulci of the first order is completed; and on weeks 33-37, additional sulci characteristic of an individual are formed. The spurt of gyrification of the cortex (weeks 22-27) practically coincides with the completion of neuronal differentiation and formation of the motor neocortex. The structure of the latter is characterized by a clear stratification of cytoarchitectonic layers and modular organization of neurons with their vertical orientation in cell columns (weeks 25-27). In subsequent weeks of prenatal development until birth, no significant changes in the topography and structure of the neocortex are observed. Structural rearrangement of the ventricular germinal zone on weeks 22-40 of prenatal development consists in its gradual reduction and is completed on weeks 37-40. The criteria of physiological reduction of this area are the zonal location of glioblasts and a progressive decrease in its thickness on weeks 33-37 of prenatal development.

[S-100 protein expression in the different brain structures of fetus and newborns suffering from ventriculomegalia and hydrocephaly].

Parenchyma of brains from fetus and newborns (22-40 weeks of gestation), suffering from dilatation of the ventricular system has been studied by immunohistochemical method. The increasing of S-100 expression in germinal matrix and subcortex under hydrocephaly was significantly higher than in cases of ventriculomegalia (p < 0.01) and control group (p < 0.05). The index of S-100 expression could be use as prognostic criteria of neuron and neuroglia mortality for differential diagnosis of hydrocephaly.

[Pathomorphology of congenital ventriculomegaly].

The paper gives the results of a morphological investigation using ventricular system embedding, organometry, light and electron microscopies, histostereometry and immunohistohemistry of brains from 50 fetuses and neonatal infants of 22-27 weeks gestation. The comprehensive investigations revealed the morphological features of intrauterinally acquired ventriculomegaly, which reflect tissue immaturity of the parenchyma and the vascular component of the brain.