Brain, Neuron - Necrosis

Neuronal necrosis in a male F344 rat from an acute inhalation study. The black arrow identifies acute eosinophilic necrosis. By contrast, the red arrow identifies a relatively normal neuron, and the arrowhead identifies a pyknotic nucleus amid associated vacuolation of the neuropil.
Figure 1 of 7

Necrotic neurons as depicted by the Fluoro-Jade technique, in a Wistar rat from a subchronic study. The blue arrow identifies a necrotic neuron, and the white arrow locates the autofluorescence of normal red blood cells in a capillary. Image kindly provided by Dr. G. Krinke. Fluoro-Jade technique.
Figure 2 of 7

Necrotic piriform cortical neurons in a treated male F344/N rat from a chronic study. The arrows identify necrotic and partially lytic forms of neuronal necrosis.
Figure 3 of 7

Basophilic neuronal necrosis (arrows) with associated punctate deposits of mineral at the surface from a female F344/N rat in a chronic study.
Figure 4 of 7

Hippocampal neuronal necrosis (arrows) with more advanced mineralization of the cell bodies, so-called ferrugination of neurons, in a male F344/N rat from a chronic study.
Figure 5 of 7

Necrosis of internal granule cells at low magnification, in a female B6C3F1 mouse from a 6-week study. Note the shrunken basophilic neurons in contrast to adjacent more normal neurons. The black arrow identifies regions with many necrotic basophilic internal granule cells, whereas the white arrow identifies a region of relative normality.
Figure 6 of 7
comment:
This panel of brain necrosis images is intended to familiarize pathologists with the morphologic variations of neuronal cell death ranging from the morphology of acute necrosis to that of late stages of necrosis in which mineralization sometimes is prominent. Figure 1
Figure 2


In Figure 3



In Figure 4


Figure 5


Necrosis of small neurons, such as the granule cells of the olfactory bulb and dentate gyrus and the internal granule cell layer of the cerebellum, is characterized by basophilic nuclear pyknosis with hematoxylin and eosin staining. In Figure 6




Mineralization of necrotic tissue, including brain cells, occurs over time. Where mineral deposits encrust a recognizable cell or its dendritic terminal boutons, it is important for the pathologist to recognize this chronologic feature of degenerated cells in brain and to differentiate it from yeast or mycotic hyphae with which it may be confused.
recommendation:
Neuronal necrosis is diagnosed for all forms of neuronal necrosis in NTP studies, and the lesion, anatomic subsite location, and severity are also documented. Severity is based on the number of affected neurons. When apoptosis is noted in conjunction with necrosis, the diagnosis is recorded as necrosis in NTP studies. In the presence of other concurrent lesions such as inflammation, lesions with the most severity are typically diagnosed. Other concurrent lesions may be diagnosed separately, if warranted by the severity.references:
Mena H, Cadavid D, Rushing EJ. 2004. Human cerebral infarct: A proposed histopathologic classification based on 137 cases. Acta Neuropathol 108:524-530. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15517310
Schmued LC, Hopkins KJ, Fluoro-Jade B. 2000. A high affinity fluorescent marker for the localization of neuronal degeneration. Brain Res 874:123-130. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10960596
Schmued LC, Stowers CC, Scallet AC, Xu L. 2005. Fluoro-Jade C results in ultra high resolution and contrast labeling of degenerating neurons. Brain Res 1035:24-31. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15713273
Web page last updated on: June 22, 2015