A forum dedicated to the expansion in neuropathology knowledge for students and practitioners alike.
Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL) is a type of brain damage that affects fetuses and premature babies. At this stage of brain development, the white matter surrounding the ventricles is particularly vulnerable to hypoxic (lack of oxygen) or ischemic (lack of blood flow) injury for a variety of reasons, including high metabolic demand in a location that... Continue Reading →
Cranial nerve schwannomas most commonly arise from Schwann cells that myelinate the distal aspect of the vestibular division of the 8th cranial nerve. Vestibular schwannomas, sometimes referred to by the double misnomer "acoustic neuroma" (it is a double misnomer because they are not neuromas and they do not usually involve the acoustic division of cranial... Continue Reading →
Schwannomas are peripheral nerve sheath tumors that arise from cells that myelinate peripheral nerve axons called Schwann cells. A classic histologic finding in schwannomas are Verocay bodies (arrows), which consist of short palisades of tumor cell nuclei separated by eosinophilic anucleate bands of tumor cell processes. Verocay bodies are often more prominent in schwannomas that arise in the setting of a... Continue Reading →
Naegleria fowleri, better known as "brain-eating amoeba", is a free-living amoeba that is a major cause of a rare brain infection called Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis, which typically affects young people with a history of swimming in warm fresh water such as a lake or stream. After entering the nose and crawling up the olfactory nerves... Continue Reading →
The brain is surrounded by several layers of protective coverings collectively called meninges. The semi-translucent innermost layers, called the leptomeninges, form a "shrink-wrap" around the brain that allows for easy flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) along the outer surface of central nervous system structures. Unfortunately, it also allows for easy spread of neoplastic cells. The image shows the inferior aspect... Continue Reading →
Myxopapillary ependymoma arises in the lumbar region of the spinal cord and typically produces symptoms associated with impingement of the spinal nerve roots of the cauda equina. It usually appears as an oval or sausage-shaped contrast-enhancing mass, like the one pictured in this MRI image (sagittal post-contrast T1 Fat-sat). The myxopapillary ependymoma in the inset photograph represents a gross surgical... Continue Reading →
The secretory subtype of meningioma (pictured here) is just one of many variants of meningioma, a usually histologically benign tumor that arises from the meninges (i.e. the outer coverings overlying the brain) and often contains concentrically-layered calcifications called psammoma bodies. The secretory variant can be suspected on imaging by the exuberant edema often seen in the adjacent brain tissue. Microscopically,... Continue Reading →
Schwannomas are typically sporadic lesions which stem from the Schwann cells that myelinate (or insulate) the peripheral nerves. Patients with multiple schwannomas are more likely to have an associated familial tumor syndrome, such as Neurofibromatosis Type II (NF2). NF2 is a disorder in which a person inherits a defective gene, called NF2, that affects the merlin tumor suppressor protein thereby permiting... Continue Reading →
Brain infarction, or stroke, refers to brain tissue death due to a lack of life-sustaining blood flow to this area. This brain, which belonged to a person with extensive cardiovascular disease, shows a resolving infarction involving the cerebral cortex of the occipital lobe. Microscopically this yellow-brown discolored area is infiltrated by an army of macrophages that slowly removes the dead brain tissue until,... Continue Reading →
Glomus jugulare tumor is a slow-growing neoplasm that is often found incidentally. It arises within the jugular foramen of the temporal bone, near the opening of the foramen magnum (the large hole at the base of the skull where the spinal cord and brainstem connect). The jugular foramen contains the cranial nerves IX, X, and XI and patients will often present with... Continue Reading →
Adventures in Neuropathology 