title: Variability in the human entorhinal region may confound neuropsychiatric diagnoses.
abstract: The human entorhinal region consists of a number of areas; however, there is no generally accepted nomenclature for these cytoarchitectonic fields, and the designation of its constituent layers or strata is a matter of controversy. Here, we consider a hitherto neglected adjacent field, the preamygdaloid claustrocortex. Its medial subfield has a small common border with the rostromedial entorhinal region (width maximal 2 mm). Both fields are cytoarchitectonically rather similar. The rostromedial oral entorhinal field lacks ascending terminal islands. Its unusually small pre-alpha cells are arranged in a thin band or small clusters consisting of pyramidal, triangular, or polymorphic cells. The conspicuous chromophilic pre-beta cell clusters are composed of a variety of cell types, including groups of 'immature' spindle-shaped or bipolar nerve cells. Furthermore, a rare sulcus within the entorhinal region (central sulcus of the entorhinal region: observed in 4% of the 450 brains examined) is associated with an unusual lamination of the entorhinal layers in its wall and floor. Both the specific shape and arrangement of neurones in the claustrocortical-rostral entorhinal border region and the unusual lamination within the rare central entorhinal sulcus are regarded as reflecting neurodevelopmental disturbances characteristic of schizophrenic brains. In contrast, our observations in a large sample of serially sectioned brains from controls, schizophrenics, and patients suffering from neuropsychiatric diseases other than schizophrenia do not support this assumption.
authors.affiliation: Morphologische Hirnforschung, Universitäts-Nervenklinik, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heinsen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gössmann
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rüb
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Eisenmenger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ulmar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bethke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schüler
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Götz
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lockemann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Püschel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000473:pathology; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology