Summary
Light and electron microscopy study of skeletal muscle and cerebral biopsies from a case of spongy degeneration of central nervous system is reported. The multiple vacuoles present in cerebral gray and white matter correspond to (a) clefts within myelin sheaths resulting from splitting at the intraperiod line and (b) swollen astrocytic perikarya and processes. Unusual mitochondria containing crystalline-like material were observed only in astrocytes. The ultrastructural findings are consistent with cerebral edema. It is suggested that the astrocytes play a primary role in the fluid accumulation while the myelin swelling is a secondary lesion. The possible role of the abnormal astrocytic mitochondria is discussed.
Zusammenfassung
Es wird über licht- und elektronenoptische Untersuchungen an Muskel-und Hirnbiopsien eines Falles von spongiöser Degeneration des ZNS berichtet. Die in der grauen und weißen Hirnsubstanz enthaltenen Vacuolen entsprechen a) Spalten in den Markscheiden infolge Aufsplitterung an der intraperiodischen Linie und b) geschwollenen Astrocytenperikaryen und-fortsätzen. Ungewöhnliche Mitochondrien mit Gehalt an kristallinem Material fanden sich nur in Astrocyten. Die ultrastrukturellen Befunde entsprechen denen des Hirnödems. Es wird angenommen, daß die Astroglia eine primäre Rolle in der Flüssigkeitsansammlung spielt, während die Markscheidenschwellung als eine Sekundärläsion aufgefaßt wird. Die mögliche Bedeutung abnormer Astrocyten-Mitochondrien wird diskutiert.
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The present investigation was supported by Research Grants HD 00588, NB-05572-04 and NB-04613-05 and the Widener Fund.
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Gambetti, P., Mellman, W.J. & Gonatas, N.K. Familial spongy degeneration of the central nervous system (Van Bogaert-Bertrand disease). Acta Neuropathol 12, 103–115 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00692500
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00692500