Numerous Weibel-Palade bodies in a calcified chronic subdural haematoma.
A 75-year-old man who had a calcified chronic subdural haematoma is reported with reference to the role of Weibel-Palade (W-P) bodies. He developed progressive dementia and a disturbance of gait. Computerized tomography demonstrated a large subdural haematoma bordered by a calcified rim. A frontoparietal craniotomy was performed to reveal approximately 100 g of paste-like, muddy blood clot. The thick capsule consisted microscopically of fibrous tissue with deposits of calcium, haemosiderin and cholesterin. The calcified outer membrane contained a small number of proliferating capillaries which conceivably contributed to the leakage of blood. The fine structure of these capillaries showed endothelial sprouts with numerous W-P bodies. This finding suggested some correlation between W-P bodies and vascular proliferation. It is noteworthy that an active vascular proliferation was observed even in the healed tissue with calcification.
D000368:Aged; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003704:Dementia / Q000473:pathology; D004727:Endothelium / Q000473:pathology; D006408:Hematoma, Subdural / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology