Quote:
Originally Posted by lurkingforacure
Ron, I've read that most autopsies "ruin", for lack of a better word, the brain such that it is impossible to see whether there is any vascular compression. You would probably have to clearly specify you wanted that looked for in autopsy in advance, and who knows to ask for that-most people who do get an autopsy are family members of the patient and are looking for the almighty "Lewy Bodies" to confirm the PD diagnosis.
But....with all this incredible technology we have, I just can't help but think that we have no excuse to not at least look for this. That's why Jannetta's findings were so amazing to me-78% of the people he looked at with PD had penduncle compression. This is the largest correlation I've seen in PD-not even 78% of PWP have tremor, for Pete's sake!
I am very curious to see what Jannetta's next report reveals.
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From the article:
"One reason that arterial compression of the cerebral peduncle was never noted may be because of the technique of the standard post mortem examination of the brain. For the post mortem exam, the calvarium is removed with a power saw. The dura mater is removed. The forebrain is then raised up off the frontal-temporal fossa and the region of the midbrain transected using a scalpel or scissors. This, the area of the vascular compression, is unfortunately stretched, distorted and at times transected.
Subtle neurovascular relationships are lost. The autopsy technique of removal of the hindbrain also has denied careful study of neurovascular
relationships of the pons and medulla even if the brain has been removed in one piece. In any case, arterial relationships have generally been found by pathologists."