[5 adult cases of cerebral aqueduct stenosis caused by ependymitis granularis]

Abstract

In the present report five autopsy cases of adult aqueductal stenosis arising from granular ependymitis have been reported. In all cases the aqueduct was obstructed or markedly stenosed by subependymal gliosis mainly consisting of fibrillary astroglia. Islands and tubules of ependymal cells were embedded in a dense bed of subependymal glia with the loss of ependyma. The walls of all ventricles showed the same pathologic findings with the aqueduct, although the degree was not so marked. Such findings support the view that some type of chronic infection produces the aqueductal stenosis, because it is impossible to produce such diffuse ependymal changes by congenital anomaly. It is of particular importance in this report that all cases were adults. In comparison with the microscopical findings in cases of aqueductal stenosis of infants and children arising from granular ependymitis, which have been reported in the literature, there were no principle differences between infants, children and adults.