A morphometric reevaluation of Huntington's chorea with special reference to the large neurons in the neostriatum

Abstract

In order to reevaluate the quantitative changes in the neostriatum of Huntington's chorea (HC), sections of the caudate head and putamen from 4 HC and 5 control cases were treated with Klüver-Barrera stain and the nuclear area of the neurons was measured by a digitizer. The number of neurons of different sizes was evaluated statistically. This study revealed a significant decrease in the number of large neurons (nuclear area; greater than 121 microns 2) as well as a severe decrease in the number of small neurons (nuclear area; less than 80 microns 2) in the neostriatum of HC. There was a parallel degree of neuronal loss in the upper and lower portions of both caudate head and putamen. The degree of neuronal loss was slightly more severe in the putamen than in the caudate head. The depletion of the large neurons was not correlated with the loss of small neurons. The number of medium-sized neurons (nuclear area; 81-120 microns 2) showed no statistically significant change.