gms | German Medical Science

57th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery
Joint Meeting with the Japanese Neurosurgical Society

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

11 - 14 May, Essen

Morphological alterations of astrocytes in the hippocampus of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy

Morphologische Veränderungen der Astrozyten im Hippcoampus von Patienten mit der Temporallappenepilepsie

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author T.M. Freiman - Neurochirurgische Klinik, Neurozentrum, Universitätsklinikum, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
  • J. Eismann - Neurochirurgische Klinik, Neurozentrum, Universitätsklinikum, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
  • A. Drakew - Abteilung für Neuroanatomie, Institut für Anatomie und Zellbiologie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
  • J. Zentner - Neurochirurgische Klinik, Neurozentrum, Universitätsklinikum, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
  • M. Frotscher - Abteilung für Neuroanatomie, Institut für Anatomie und Zellbiologie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Japanische Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 57. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e.V. (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Japanischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Essen, 11.-14.05.2006. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2006. DocP 02.10

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dgnc2006/06dgnc227.shtml

Published: May 8, 2006

© 2006 Freiman et al.
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Outline

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Objective: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most frequent form of pharmacoresistant epilepsy. In most cases the morphological correlate is Ammon“s horn sclerosis. This is characterised by neuronal loss and glial sclerosis in the hippocampal regions CA1 und hilus. Whereas the neuronal loss has attracted most attention in the past, the glial changes remained neglected.

Methods: We have therefore examined the morphological alterations of astrocytes in the sclerotic region CA1 of hippocampi of patients with TLE by using a Golgi impregnation procedure adapted to examine neurosurgical human specimens. The morphological analysis was performed with a computer-assisted Camera lucida system.

Results: We found that in the sclerotic CA1 region astrocytes have fewer and shorter cytoplasmic processes. Their intersections are increased within an area extending 20 µm from the middle of the cell body, and within this area they branch more frequently. Astrocytes in the neighbouring non-sclerotic CA3 region have longer processes which branch less frequently.

Conclusions: The morphological alterations of CA1 astrocytes correlate most likely with reactive gliosis as described in experimental animal models. Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: TR-3