Pathologyand Radiology: General Neuropathology Flashcards
Nissl stain stains what?
Neuronal cell bodies by binding nucleic acids
What does the silver stain stain?
Cell processes
Where does lipofuscin accumulate?
CNS neurons which are aging
What two structures of the brainstem stain heavily for neuromelanin?
What part of the brainstem is where true melanin is made?
Substantia nigra and locus coereleus
Ventral medula has tyrosinase in the leptomeningeal melanocytes which makes melanin. This is a location of where primary CNS melanoma may develop
Ischemic necrosis of neurons is seen as what change in staining of cell bodies? (i.e. basophillic vs eosinophilic)
Cells become eosinophillic (red is dead)
What is ferrugination?
When iron and calcium salts accumulate in neurons which have died
Where must an injury be on a neuron for central chromatolysis to occur? Is it irreversible?
An axon near the cell body. The cell body will enlarge, nucleus becomes eccentric, and Nissl substance dissipiates. This is reversible however and cells may from here progress back to normalcy vs death
Neurofibrillary tangles can be seen in other pathologies besides Alzheimer’s. What others?
Post-encephalitic Parkinson’s, Progressive supranuclear palsy, Aluminum toxicity
What happens to the cell body when lipids or carbohydrates are stored?
Nucleus becomes eccentric and more ‘foamy’ appearing
Intranuclear viral inclusion bodies are seen classically in what disease process?
HSV-1
Intracytoplasmic bodies seen in degenerative and metabolic conditions are listed below. Describe them appropriately:
1) Pick bodies
2) Lewy bodies
3) Lafora bodies
4) Hirano bodies
5) Bunina bodies
1) Pick disease/frontotemporal dementia, round stain with silver
2) Lewy in Parkinson’s and have a halo
3) Lafora disease, PAS positive, basophillic, and a dense core
4) With age and in AD, eosinophillic, mostly in hippocampus and made of actin
5) Increased in ALS and eosinophillic
Where are marinesco bodies seen?
Seen in normal brain, often in melanin cells of brainstem (ventral medulla); mostly contain ubiquitin and are eosinophillic
What cells proliferate during neuronal atrophy?
Astrocytes and microglia
Definition of hamartoma
Disorganized cells in the correct location for that cell type
Definition of choristoma
Correctly organized cells in the incorrect location for that cell type
