Osmotic demyelination is a serious disease caused by rapid correction of hyponatremia. In humans, demyelinative lesions occur preferentially in the central pons, and thus are termed central pontine myelinolysis. Although accumulation of microglia has been reported in such demyelinative lesions, their role in the pathogenesis of osmotic demyelination remains unclear. We examined the expression o...

morning glory syndrome (mgs) is a rare congenital optic disc anomaly characterized by a funnel-shaped, excavated optic disc surrounded by chorioretinal pigmentary disturbance. the main ophthalomoscopic feature of the mgs is enlarged optic disc with a funnel shaped scleral defect; elevated peripapillary chorioretinal pigmentation; and pale fluffy tissue of glial hyperplasia overlying the optic d...

The new population of oligodendrocytes remyelinating an experimental demyelinating optic nerve lesion has been tracked backwards in time. Using autoradiography combined with electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry, serial sections of optic nerves from young adult cats were studied from 42 h (2 days) post-injection to 93 h (4 days) post-injection. The remyelinating oligodendrocyte lineage wa...

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a primary demyelinating disease of the central nervous system occurring almost exclusively in individuals with impaired cell-mediated immunity. The JC polyoma virus has been accepted as the etiologic agent ofPML. Using a two-step in-situ polymerase chain reaction procedure to amplify and detect genomic DNA of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV6) in form...

Nerve conduction studies (NCS) are necessary to distinguish multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) from other disorders with a similar clinical picture. In MMN, NCS may show a unique combination of conduction block (CB) or conduction slowing consistent with demyelination, whereas sensory conduction in the same nerve is normal. This contribution discusses a relatively simple and practical electrophys...

Atypical forms of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) may simulate other disorders. A previously healthy 70-year-old female developed unsteadiness of gait, dysarthria, dementia and weakness leading to inanition and death from bronchopneumonia over a 43 month period. The diagnosis of PML was not suspected prior to death. Neuropathologic examination of the brain disclosed characteris...