title: Retinal ganglion cell degeneration in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: This study documents the light-microscopic and ultrastructural characteristics of ganglion cell degeneration in the retinas of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The results show degeneration in the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) characterized by a vacuolated, 'frothy' appearance of the cytoplasm. The degeneration is unique in AD because of the absence of neurofibrillary tangles within the RGCs, or of neuritic plaques or amyloid angiopathy in the retinas or optic nerves of any of the cases examined. These results suggest that neuronal degeneration in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) should be added to the constellation of neuropathologic changes found in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Blanks
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hinton
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sadun
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*