Pathology Flashcards
What is the most important histopathological indicator of CNS injury, regardless of cause?
Gliosis.
Astrocytes undergo hyperplasia and hypertrophy
Injury to oligodendrocytes is a feature of ……….. disorders
demyelinating disorders
what would be the signs of occlusion of the antererior cerebral artery?
Frontal lobe dysfunction
Contralateral sensory loss in foot & leg
Paresis of arm & foot, relative sparing of thigh & face
What would be the signs of an occlusion of the middle cerebral artery?
hemiparesis
hemisensory loss
aphasia/dysphasia
apraxia
The symptoms would be worse if the dominant side was affected
what would be the sympoms of an occlusion in the posterior of the brain
Visual deffects- homonymus heminanopia
Cerebellar deffects- intention tremor, nystagmus, ataxia, pendualr reflexes
damage to brainstem
define strokes
sudden disturbance of cerebral function of vascular origin that causes death or lasts over 24 hours
what are the main histological features of MS?
Inflammation,
Demylenation,
Gliosis
what are the microscopic/ histological features of alzheimer’s disease
– intracytoplasmic neurofibrillary tangles
– Aß amyloid plaques (extracellular senile or neuritic plaques)
– amyloid angiopathy
– extensive neuronal loss with astrocytosis
what are the neurological features of dementia with Lewy Bodies?
–Degeneration of the substantia nigra (as seen in Parkinson’s disease).
–Remaining nerve cells contain abnormal structures called Lewy bodies (pathological hallmark).
–Degeneration of the cortical areas of the brain with many or all of the features seen in Alzheimer’s disease
what are the clinical features of Dementia with Lewy Bodies
- A progressive dementia, the hallmarks of which are hallucinations and fluctuating levels of attention
- Features overlapping with those of Alzheimer’s disease
- Development of features of Parkinson’s disease
- Fluctuation in severity of condition on a day-to-day basis
what are the triad of clinical features linked to Huntington’s?
emotional, cognitive and motor disturbance.
when does huntington’s typically occur?
between 35-50 but can occur anytime
what is the inheritence of huntington’s?
•Autosomal dominant inheritance pattern (huntingtin gene of chromosome 4p)
what is the microscopic appearance of Huntington’s?
loss of neurons in caudate nucleus and cerebral cortex accompanied by reactive fibrillary gliosis
name the three different types of herniation and their clinical signs
- Subfalcine (cingulate gyrus) herniation – unilateral or asymmetric expansion of cerebral hemisphere displaces the cingulate gyrus under the falx cerebri.
Often associated with compression of anterior cerebral artery, manefest by weakness and/or sensory loss in leg, caused by ischaemic injury of portions of the primary motor and/or sensory cortex.
- Tentorial – medial aspect of temporal lobe (hippocampal uncus and parahippocampal gyrus) herniates over the tentorium cerebelli.
Results in compression of ipsilateral third cranial nerve and its parasympathetic fibres, pupilary dilation and impairment of ocular movements on the side of the lesion.
- Tonsillar – displacement of cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum. Life-threatening as it causes brainstem compression and compromises vital respiratory centres in medulla oblongata.
Neurological features associated with progressive elevation of intracranial pressure:
what are the most common malignant and benign tumours in adults and children
