Biomaterial Database

Intramuscular nerves in motor neurone disease. A quantitative ultrastructural study. 1988

C P Case, and M Jelaca

Department of Pathology, Midland Centre for Neurosurgery and Neurology, West Midlands, Great Britain.

The ultrastructure of human intramuscular nerves at biopsy has been compared in motor neurone disease with that in other neuromuscular disease including muscular dystrophy and in controls. Myelinated axons appeared to be lost in control patients aged over 50 years, but this varied both between and within nerve fascicles. Even in two boys aged 3 1/2 and 9 years, but with Duchenne's dystrophy, examples were found of nerve fascicles with few or no axons. In motor neurone disease additional nerve fibres were lost, but there was little change in the size distributions of axons and myelin sheaths within the muscle. In both preterminal and terminal fascicles there was an increase of Schwann cell cytoplasm in association with unmyelinated axons, which was compatible with nerve sprouting. It is concluded that intramuscular nerves are likely to be lost with age as well as motor neurone disease. The results are discussed in relation to the stage of the disease process at biopsy.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009046	Motor Neurons	Neurons which activate MUSCLE CELLS.	Neurons, Motor,Alpha Motorneurons,Motoneurons,Motor Neurons, Alpha,Neurons, Alpha Motor,Alpha Motor Neuron,Alpha Motor Neurons,Alpha Motorneuron,Motoneuron,Motor Neuron,Motor Neuron, Alpha,Motorneuron, Alpha,Motorneurons, Alpha,Neuron, Alpha Motor,Neuron, Motor
D009132	Muscles	Contractile tissue that produces movement in animals.	Muscle Tissue,Muscle,Muscle Tissues,Tissue, Muscle,Tissues, Muscle
D009136	Muscular Dystrophies	A heterogeneous group of inherited MYOPATHIES, characterized by wasting and weakness of the SKELETAL MUSCLE. They are categorized by the sites of MUSCLE WEAKNESS; AGE OF ONSET; and INHERITANCE PATTERNS.	Muscular Dystrophy,Myodystrophica,Myodystrophy,Dystrophies, Muscular,Dystrophy, Muscular,Myodystrophicas,Myodystrophies
D009468	Neuromuscular Diseases	A general term encompassing lower MOTOR NEURON DISEASE; PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES; and certain MUSCULAR DISEASES. Manifestations include MUSCLE WEAKNESS; FASCICULATION; muscle ATROPHY; SPASM; MYOKYMIA; MUSCLE HYPERTONIA, myalgias, and MUSCLE HYPOTONIA.	Amyotonia Congenita,Oppenheim Disease,Cramp-Fasciculation Syndrome,Fasciculation-Cramp Syndrome, Benign,Foley-Denny-Brown Syndrome,Oppenheim's Disease,Benign Fasciculation-Cramp Syndrome,Benign Fasciculation-Cramp Syndromes,Cramp Fasciculation Syndrome,Cramp-Fasciculation Syndromes,Fasciculation Cramp Syndrome, Benign,Fasciculation-Cramp Syndromes, Benign,Foley Denny Brown Syndrome,Neuromuscular Disease,Oppenheims Disease,Syndrome, Cramp-Fasciculation,Syndrome, Foley-Denny-Brown,Syndromes, Cramp-Fasciculation
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003711	Demyelinating Diseases	Diseases characterized by loss or dysfunction of myelin in the central or peripheral nervous system.	Clinically Isolated CNS Demyelinating Syndrome,Clinically Isolated Syndrome, CNS Demyelinating,Demyelinating Disorders,Demyelination,Demyelinating Disease,Demyelinating Disorder,Demyelinations
D005260	Female		Females