Blood-brain barrier ultrastructural alterations in human congenital hydrocephalus and Arnold-Chiari malformation.
Cortical biopsies of 13 patients with clinical diagnosis of congenital hydrocephalus, Arnold-Chiari malformation and hydrocephalus, and postmeningitis hydrocephalus were examined by transmission electron microscopy to study the damage of endothelial cells, basement membrane, astrocytic end-feet layer, and perivascular space. Capillaries from the parietal and frontal cortex showed increased vesicular and vacuolar transport, intact endothelial junctions, thin and immature basement membrane, swollen perivascular astrocytic end-feet layer, and enlarged perivascular space. In areas of severe oedema, open endothelial junctions, swollen basement membrane, absent perivascular astrocytic end-feet layer, enlarged perivascular space, and disrupted perivascular neuropil were observed. The electron microscopic findings demonstrated breakdown of the blood-brain barrier in all cases examined.
Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Apartado 526, Maracaibo, Venezuela. ocastejo@cantv.net
Orlando J
OJ
Castejón
D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000150:complications / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000150:complications / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission