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. 2022 Mar 31;55(1):109-112.
doi: 10.5115/acb.21.164.

Interthalamic adhesion in humans: a gray commissure?

Affiliations

Interthalamic adhesion in humans: a gray commissure?

Jorge Eduardo Duque Parra et al. Anat Cell Biol. .

Abstract

Interthalamic adhesion is an inconstant part of the human diencephalic neuroanatomy, which some histological studies have indicated it is a gray commissure and others a white commissure. Its presence has been associated with alterations in health status, including schizophrenia, psychotic states, and hydrocephalus. Thirty-one fresh human brains were evaluated randomly, to determine the presence of interthalamic adhesion and its histological composition, by way of lamina terminalis puncture of the third ventricle. Photographic records were taken and histological processes was performed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, in the case of the existence of the adhesion. It was found that 51.71% did present interthalamic adhesion, and on histological examination, no neuron bodies were found in the median part, which implies that does not correspond to a gray commissure, but interthalamic adhesion in humans is variable, with a predominance of glial cells. There is no gray commissure in human interthalamic adhesions.

Keywords: Anatomy; Diencephalon; Histology; Neuroanatomy; Thalamus.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Medial view of a median section of an encephalon (diencephalon), with a great interthalamic adhesion (black triangles) inferior to the choroid plexus of the third ventricle.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Histological view of a horizontal section of the interthalamic adhesion (zoom ×4) between right and left thalamus in hematoxylin and eosin stain.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Histological view of a horizontal section of the interthalamic adhesion (zoom ×20), in which the absence of gray commissure it is notable, but glial cells are distinguished (black triangles), and laterally, soma of pyramidal neurons (white triangles), with anterior to posterior soma orientation in hematoxylin and eosin stain.

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