Biomaterial Database

Calcification in the human choroid plexus, meningiomas and pineal gland. 1986

J C Alcolado, and I E Moore, and R O Weller

Calcification in the stroma of adult telencephalic choroid plexus was studied of 20 postmortem brains and one biopsy by light microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy and compared with calcification in psammoma bodies in normal arachnoid, five spinal meningiomas and in calcospherites of six pineal glands. Fifteen fetal and newborn choroid plexuses were also examined by light microscopy. Calcium deposition was observed in the subepithelial regions of the adult choroid plexus, in the walls of blood vessels but was mostly seen in spherical psammoma bodies. Collagen whorls 20-60 microns in diameter and surrounded by arachnoid cells, were observed in the stroma of the choroid plexus; calcium, phosphorous and iron were deposited in the collagen whorls to form psammoma bodies. Matrix vesicles and spicules resembling hydroxyapatite were associated with the arachnoid cells surrounding the collagen whorls and with the collagen fibres within the whorls. The dense amorphous calcified core of each psammoma body was surrounded by an outer coating of entwined collagen fibres readily visible by scanning electron microscopy. Similar psammoma bodies were occasionally observed in normal arachnoid. Psammoma bodies in meningiomas resembled those in the choroid plexus stroma. Calcospherites in the pineal differed from psammoma bodies; they were lobulated, more irregular in shape and did not have a collagen base. The results of this study suggest that psammoma bodies in the choroid plexus, as in meningiomas, form by a process of dystrophic calcification associated with arachnoid cells and collagen fibres. The presence of iron in the choroid plexus psammoma bodies may be a result of haemorrhage into the stroma. The mechanism of calcification in pineal remains unclear.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008577	Meningeal Neoplasms	Benign and malignant neoplastic processes that arise from or secondarily involve the meningeal coverings of the brain and spinal cord.	Intracranial Meningeal Neoplasms,Spinal Meningeal Neoplasms,Benign Meningeal Neoplasms,Leptomeningeal Neoplasms,Malignant Meningeal Neoplasms,Meningeal Cancer,Meningeal Neoplasms, Benign,Meningeal Neoplasms, Intracranial,Meningeal Neoplasms, Malignant,Meningeal Tumors,Neoplasms, Leptomeningeal,Neoplasms, Meningeal,Benign Meningeal Neoplasm,Cancer, Meningeal,Cancers, Meningeal,Intracranial Meningeal Neoplasm,Leptomeningeal Neoplasm,Malignant Meningeal Neoplasm,Meningeal Cancers,Meningeal Neoplasm,Meningeal Neoplasm, Benign,Meningeal Neoplasm, Intracranial,Meningeal Neoplasm, Malignant,Meningeal Neoplasm, Spinal,Meningeal Neoplasms, Spinal,Meningeal Tumor,Neoplasm, Benign Meningeal,Neoplasm, Intracranial Meningeal,Neoplasm, Leptomeningeal,Neoplasm, Malignant Meningeal,Neoplasm, Meningeal,Neoplasm, Spinal Meningeal,Neoplasms, Benign Meningeal,Neoplasms, Intracranial Meningeal,Neoplasms, Malignant Meningeal,Neoplasms, Spinal Meningeal,Spinal Meningeal Neoplasm,Tumor, Meningeal,Tumors, Meningeal
D008579	Meningioma	A relatively common neoplasm of the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that arises from arachnoidal cells. The majority are well differentiated vascular tumors which grow slowly and have a low potential to be invasive, although malignant subtypes occur. Meningiomas have a predilection to arise from the parasagittal region, cerebral convexity, sphenoidal ridge, olfactory groove, and SPINAL CANAL. (From DeVita et al., Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology, 5th ed, pp2056-7)	Benign Meningioma,Malignant Meningioma,Meningiomas, Multiple,Meningiomatosis,Angioblastic Meningioma,Angiomatous Meningioma,Cerebral Convexity Meningioma,Clear Cell Meningioma,Fibrous Meningioma,Hemangioblastic Meningioma,Hemangiopericytic Meningioma,Intracranial Meningioma,Intraorbital Meningioma,Intraventricular Meningioma,Meningotheliomatous Meningioma,Microcystic Meningioma,Olfactory Groove Meningioma,Papillary Meningioma,Parasagittal Meningioma,Posterior Fossa Meningioma,Psammomatous Meningioma,Secretory Meningioma,Sphenoid Wing Meningioma,Spinal Meningioma,Transitional Meningioma,Xanthomatous Meningioma,Angioblastic Meningiomas,Angiomatous Meningiomas,Benign Meningiomas,Cerebral Convexity Meningiomas,Clear Cell Meningiomas,Convexity Meningioma, Cerebral,Convexity Meningiomas, Cerebral,Fibrous Meningiomas,Groove Meningiomas, Olfactory,Hemangioblastic Meningiomas,Hemangiopericytic Meningiomas,Intracranial Meningiomas,Intraorbital Meningiomas,Intraventricular Meningiomas,Malignant Meningiomas,Meningioma, Angioblastic,Meningioma, Angiomatous,Meningioma, Benign,Meningioma, Cerebral Convexity,Meningioma, Clear Cell,Meningioma, Fibrous,Meningioma, Hemangioblastic,Meningioma, Hemangiopericytic,Meningioma, Intracranial,Meningioma, Intraorbital,Meningioma, Intraventricular,Meningioma, Malignant,Meningioma, Meningotheliomatous,Meningioma, Microcystic,Meningioma, Multiple,Meningioma, Olfactory Groove,Meningioma, Papillary,Meningioma, Parasagittal,Meningioma, Posterior Fossa,Meningioma, Psammomatous,Meningioma, Secretory,Meningioma, Sphenoid Wing,Meningioma, Spinal,Meningioma, Transitional,Meningioma, Xanthomatous,Meningiomas,Meningiomas, Angioblastic,Meningiomas, Angiomatous,Meningiomas, Benign,Meningiomas, Cerebral Convexity,Meningiomas, Clear Cell,Meningiomas, Fibrous,Meningiomas, Hemangioblastic,Meningiomas, Hemangiopericytic,Meningiomas, Intracranial,Meningiomas, Intraorbital,Meningiomas, Intraventricular,Meningiomas, Malignant,Meningiomas, Meningotheliomatous,Meningiomas, Microcystic,Meningiomas, Olfactory Groove,Meningiomas, Papillary,Meningiomas, Parasagittal,Meningiomas, Posterior Fossa,Meningiomas, Psammomatous,Meningiomas, Secretory,Meningiomas, Sphenoid Wing,Meningiomas, Spinal,Meningiomas, Transitional,Meningiomas, Xanthomatous,Meningiomatoses,Meningotheliomatous Meningiomas,Microcystic Meningiomas,Multiple Meningioma,Multiple Meningiomas,Olfactory Groove Meningiomas,Papillary Meningiomas,Parasagittal Meningiomas,Posterior Fossa Meningiomas,Psammomatous Meningiomas,Secretory Meningiomas,Sphenoid Wing Meningiomas,Spinal Meningiomas,Transitional Meningiomas,Wing Meningioma, Sphenoid,Wing Meningiomas, Sphenoid,Xanthomatous Meningiomas
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D008855	Microscopy, Electron, Scanning	Microscopy in which the object is examined directly by an electron beam scanning the specimen point-by-point. The image is constructed by detecting the products of specimen interactions that are projected above the plane of the sample, such as backscattered electrons. Although SCANNING TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY also scans the specimen point by point with the electron beam, the image is constructed by detecting the electrons, or their interaction products that are transmitted through the sample plane, so that is a form of TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY.	Scanning Electron Microscopy,Electron Scanning Microscopy,Electron Microscopies, Scanning,Electron Microscopy, Scanning,Electron Scanning Microscopies,Microscopies, Electron Scanning,Microscopies, Scanning Electron,Microscopy, Electron Scanning,Microscopy, Scanning Electron,Scanning Electron Microscopies,Scanning Microscopies, Electron,Scanning Microscopy, Electron
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010870	Pineal Gland	A light-sensitive neuroendocrine organ attached to the roof of the THIRD VENTRICLE of the brain. The pineal gland secretes MELATONIN, other BIOGENIC AMINES and NEUROPEPTIDES.	Epiphysis Cerebri,Pineal Body,Corpus Pineale,Gland, Pineal,Pineal Bodies,Pineal Glands
D001927	Brain Diseases	Pathologic conditions affecting the BRAIN, which is composed of the intracranial components of the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. This includes (but is not limited to) the CEREBRAL CORTEX; intracranial white matter; BASAL GANGLIA; THALAMUS; HYPOTHALAMUS; BRAIN STEM; and CEREBELLUM.	Intracranial Central Nervous System Disorders,Brain Disorders,CNS Disorders, Intracranial,Central Nervous System Disorders, Intracranial,Central Nervous System Intracranial Disorders,Encephalon Diseases,Encephalopathy,Intracranial CNS Disorders,Brain Disease,Brain Disorder,CNS Disorder, Intracranial,Encephalon Disease,Encephalopathies,Intracranial CNS Disorder
D002114	Calcinosis	Pathologic deposition of calcium salts in tissues.	Calcification, Pathologic,Calcinosis, Tumoral,Microcalcification,Microcalcinosis,Pathologic Calcification,Calcinoses,Calcinoses, Tumoral,Microcalcifications,Microcalcinoses,Tumoral Calcinoses,Tumoral Calcinosis
D002831	Choroid Plexus	A villous structure of tangled masses of BLOOD VESSELS contained within the third, lateral, and fourth ventricles of the BRAIN. It regulates part of the production and composition of CEREBROSPINAL FLUID.	Chorioid Plexus,Plexus Choroideus,Choroideus, Plexus,Plexus, Chorioid,Plexus, Choroid
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man