Demyelinating, Degenerative, Genetic, Toxic, Eye Disease Flashcards
What are examples of demyelinating diseases?
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Neuromyelitis Optica/Devic Disease
Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
Acute Necrotizing Hemorrhagic Encephalomyelitis (ANHE)
Central Pontine Myelinolysis
What are examples of degenerative diseases?
Alzheimer’s
Frontotemporal Dementias --> Pick's --> Progressive Supranuclear Palsy --> Vascular Dementia Parkinson's
Huntington’s
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Are demyelinating diseases inherited or acquired?
acquired
Describe demyelinating disorders
preferentially damage myelin
relative preservation of axons (c/t ischemia where neurons die so axons disappear)
limited capacity for CNS to replenish myelin
Are demyelinating leukodystrophies immunologic or inherited?
inherited
Define multiple sclerosis (MS)
distinct episodes of neuro deficits separated in time d/t white matter lesions separated in space
–> 1 sx at a time, caused by lesions in diff parts of brain (or brain and spinal cord)
Is MS autoimmune?
YES
autoimmune demyelinating disorder
Describe the duration of MS
relapsing and remitting episodes of variable duration (wk-mon-yrs)
Neuro def–> gradual partial recovery
What happens to MS patients as they age?
frequency of relapses decline, but neuro deterioration continues to be steady
little sx but still progressing
What is the frequent initial presentation for MS?
unilateral visual impairment (optic neuritis, retrobulbar neuritis)
(also can be urinary d/t loss of bladder control)
10-50% of patients with this disease develop MS, thus need careful f/u.
optic neuritis
What are common brainstem MS sx?
ATAXIA NYSTAGMUS CN signs Intranuclear ophthalmoplegia ----> can't adduct eye
What are common spinal cord MS sx?
Motor and sensory impairment of trunk and limbs
spasticity
difficulty with voluntary control of bladder
Are women or men more affected by MS?
Women, temperate zones
What are the genetic factors that predispose to MS?
15x if 1st degree relative (mother-daughter)
150x if mono twin affected
What genes are implicated in MS?
DR2 (MS susceptibility)
IL-2 and 7 receptor genes
When is it rare to get MS?
childhood
over 50
Describe the pathway of chronic inflammation in MS
CD4+ Th 1 and 17 cells react against SELF-MYELIN Ag and secrete cytokiens
Th1–> IFN gamma–> + macrophages
Th17–> recruit leukocytes
What are in plaque infiltrates in MS?
T cells (mainly CD4 but some CD8 and macrophages)
Is MS a disease of the white or gray matter?
white (myelin)
What is the gross appearance of MS?
multiple well circumscribed, slightly depressed, glassy, gray-tan irregular shaped PLAQUES
with gliosis d/t inflammation–> sclerosis of plaques that make it firmer than surrounding white matter
usually around lateral ventricles with sharp borders
What should be your first thought if you see multiple periventricular plaques on MRI?
MS
What structures are affected in MS?
optic nerves and chiasm
brainstem
ascending and descending fiber tracts
cerebellum
spinal cord
Are axons preserved in MS?
YES–> demyelinating disorder
What is the general progression of plaques in MS?
- ongoing myelin breakdown
- abundant macrophages (lipid rich, PAS + debris from myelin)
- perivascular lymphocytes at outer edge of plaque with relative preservation of axons and depletion of oligodendrocytes
–>
quiescent, inflammation disappears, gliosis and astrocyte prolif
–>
not sharply circumscribed, resolving
CSF findings in MS
mildly elevated protein
moderate pleocytosis (increased WBC)
increased IgG
Oligoclonal IgG bands
Define neuromyelitis optica
BL optic neuritis and spinal cord demyelination AT SAME TIME (spares brain)
considered variant of MS
CSF of neuromyelitis optica
Neutrophils, increased opening pressure, turbid (cloudy)
*****looks like CSF of bacterial meningitis, but doesn’t have decrease in glucose
Neuromyelitis optica Ab
antibodies to aquaporins (NMO) that maintain astrocyte foot processes (and also BBB)
Neuromyelitis optica tmt
steroid and plasmapheresis to remove Ab
immunosuppression
Define Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
perivenous encephalomyelitis
diffuse monophasic demyelinating disease that FOLLOW VIRAL infection or immunization
Describe sx onset of Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
1-2 weeks after infection
HA
lethargy
coma
What is the prognosis of Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)?
20% die
80% recover completely
Morphology of Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
grayish discoloration around white matter vessels
myelin loss with axon preservation
PMN or lymphocytes
accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages from myelin breakdown
What cells are seen early in Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)?
PMNs (neutrophils)
What cells are seen late in Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)?
Mononuclear (lymphocytes)
What is Acute Necrotizing Hemorrhagic Encephalomyelitis (ANHE)?
sudden onset of CNS demyelination in YOUNG ADULTS and CHILDREN
What is the prognosis of Acute Necrotizing Hemorrhagic Encephalomyelitis (ANHE)?
most often fatal
if survive–> significant defects
What causes Acute Necrotizing Hemorrhagic Encephalomyelitis (ANHE)?
recent URI (virus)
Is Acute Necrotizing Hemorrhagic Encephalomyelitis (ANHE) common?
No, rare
often distractor
What is Central Pontine Myelinolysis?
loss of myelin with neuro sx d/t overcorrection of sodium
What would you see on CT if a patient had Central Pontine Myelinolysis?
demyelination in the center of the pons
What are the sx of Central Pontine Myelinolysis?
acute paralysis dysphagia dysarthria diplopia LOC
all occur very quickly
What causes Central Pontine Myelinolysis?
severe electrolyte/osmolar imbalance
–> overcorrection of sodium when hyponatremic
What is the tmt for Central Pontine Myelinolysis?
liver transplant
Describe the histology/morphology of Central Pontine Myelinolysis
Symmetric loss of myelin in basis pontis and portions of pontine tegmentum
no inflammation
neurons and axons preserved
What is the difference between demyelinating and degenerative diseases?
demyelinating–> lose myelin, so WHITE matter
degenerating–> lose neurons first, GRAY matter
Describe degenerative diseases
Gray matter
progressive loss of neurons
protein aggregates/inclusions hallmark of diseases
—> CAG, tau, amyloid, etc
How do proteins accumulate in degenerative disease?
resistant to degradation through ubiquitin-proteasome system
Protein aggregate/inclusion in Huntington disease
polyglutamine repeats (CAG) --> mutated protein
Protein aggregate/inclusion in Alzhemier’s disease
amyloid beta
–> peptide derived from larger precursor protein
Protein aggregate/inclusion in Parkinson’s disease
alpha-synuclein
–> unexplained alteration of normal cellular protein
Define dementia
progressive loss of cognitive function
Is dementia a normal part of aging?
NO!!!! always pathologic
What is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly?
Alzheimer’s
Describe Alzheimer’s disease
insidious impairment of higher intellectual function, alterations in mood and behavior
What is the timeline for Alzheimer’s disease?
early: impairment of higher intellectual function, mood and behavior changes
late: progressive disorientation, memory loss, aphasia (demonstrates severe cortical dysfunction)
within 5-10 years of sx: profound disability, mute, immobile
Is Alzheimer’s symptomatic before age 50?
not typically
if before 50, usually familial form with rapid decline
What is the correlation between age and Alzheimer’s?
incidence rises with age
doubles every 5 years
Are most cases of Alzheimer’s disease sporadic or familial?
sporadic
5-10% familial
What is necessary to diagnose Alzheimer’s?
examine brain (after death)
Describe the atrophy progression in Alzheimer’s disease
GLOBAL cortical atrophy with widened sulci
first starts in frontal and temporal lobes, then progresses to parietal and ends with occipital
What hydrocephalus is associated with Alzheimer’s and why?
ex vacuo
cortical atrophy in brain–> less mass–> shrinks–> brain compensates with excess fluid–> ventricular enlargement
What general histology do you see in Alzheimer’s?
plaques and neurofibrillary tangles
What types of plaque exist in Alzheimer’s and what’s the main difference between them?
Neuritic (senile)–> amyloid core
Diffuse–> no amyloid core
Where do you find neuritic plaque in AD?
hippocampus, amygdala, neocortex
reactive astrocytes and microglia in periphery
What stain do you use to identify the amyloid core in neuritis plaques of AD?
Congo red
derived from amyloid precursor protein (APP)
Where do you find diffuse plaque in AD?
superficial cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum
early stage of neuritic plaque development
What condition has early onset AD?
Down syndrome
What is the location of plaque vs tangles in AD?
plaques outside of cells
tangles inside cells
Describe neurofibrillary tangle shape
bundles of filaments in cytoplasm of neuron
pyramidal neurons–> flame d/t displaced nucleus
globose or basket weave of fibers around nucleus (d/t tangles encircle nucleus)
What is an abnormally hyperphosphorylated, axonal microtubule-associated protein that enhances assembly and is implicated in AD?
tau
–> MAP2 and ubiquitin proteins
What stain is used to identify neurofibrillary tangles?
Bielschowsky stain (silver stain)
When would you see ghost or tombstone neurofibrillary tangles?
when they are resistant to clearance in vivo and the neuron is dead–> just see outline made by tangles
What is highly associated with severe cognitive dysfunction?
large number of plaques and tangles
Do tangles or plaques correlate better with degree of dementia?
tangles
What are hirano bodies?
elongated, glassy, eosinophilic bodies
ACTIN major component
hippocampal pyramidal cells
seen in AD
What is granulovacuolar degeneration?
small, clear intraneuronal cytoplasmic vacuoles (lose definition)
normal aging to have few
AD have lots
What is cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)?
thick vessel walls with the same amyloid protein as AD
use Congo red stain
accompanies Alzheimer’s disease
What is the significance of Congo red stain?
when polarized–> apple green birefringence
means there is amyloid
What is the connection between CAA and AD?
if you have Alzheimer’s, you have CAA
if you have CAA, doesn’t mean you have Alzheimer’s
Describe frontotemporal dementias
share clinical features of progressive behavior and language changes
with tau: pick, progressive supranuclear palsy
without tau: vascular dementia (HTN related)