Download UPMC PowerPoint - Neuropathology

65 year-old female with Alzheimer’s
disease
Lananh Nguyen, M.D.
Division of Neuropathology
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
An autopsy was performed. Identify the structures
arrow.
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An autopsy was performed. Identify the structures
arrow.
Corpus callosum
Caudate, tail
Thalamus
Lateral geniculate nucleus
Hippocampus
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Note the atrophy in the brain with the Alzheimer’s
disease.
Normal
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Severe atrophy
library.med.utah.edu
What microscopic pathology is in abundance in
Alzheimer’s disease (AD)?
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What microscopic pathology is in abundance in
Alzheimer’s disease (AD)?
• Neuritic plaques
• Neurofibrillary tangles
• Amyloid plaques
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What stains would you use to evaluate microscopic
pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) for these features?
• Neuritic plaques
• Neurofibrillary tangles
• Amyloid plaques
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What stains would you use to evaluate microscopic
pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) for these features?
• Neuritic plaques : Bielchowsky stain
• Neurofibrillary tangles: Phosphorylated tau stain
• Amyloid plaques: Beta amyloid stain
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What “body” would you expect to see in the
hippocampus of a person with AD
• Hirano bodies
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Where in the hippocampus can you find these bodies?
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Where in the hippocampus can you find these bodies?
• CA1 region of the hippocampus
CA3
CA2
CA4
CA1
Dentate gyrus
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What are the 4 most common genes linked to AD?
• Amyloid precursor protein mutation (causative gene)
• Presenilin 1 and Presenilin 2 mutations (causative gene)
• Apolipoprotein E4 (risk gene)
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