Neuropathology of brainstem in severe cerebral palsy mainly due to perinatal asphyxia
Koide, H.
No to Hattatsu 17(4): 293-300
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-0831 PMID: 4027069 Document Number: 260459
The neuropathology of brainstem was studied in 27 patients, with ages ranging from 2-26 yr; 23 patients with cerebral palsy due to perinatal asphyxia (15), kernicterus (4) and encephalitis or encephalopathy (4) and 4 mentally retarded patients without cerebral palsy. Their clinical findings were confirmed by histological lesions in the brainstem, cerebrum, thalamus, basal nuclei and cerebellum. The brainstem lesions were common among patients with severe cerebral palsy. The most common brainstem lesions of the perinatal asphyxia were found in the inferior olivary nucleus, vestibular nucleus, vagus nucleus, and pontine nucleus, with secondary degeneration of the pyramidal tract. There were less common damages in the reticular formation of medulla, superior colliculus, inferior colliculus, substantia nigra, red nucleus, oculomotor nucleus, trigeminal nucleus and hypoglossal nucleus. The reactive astrocytosis was found even in the area of mild nerve cell damages. Vestibular dysfunction is apparently relatively common among cerebral palsy patients.