1. 65 year-old female with Alzheimer’s disease
Lananh Nguyen, M.D.
Division of Neuropathology
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

2. An autopsy was performed. Identify the structures arrow.

3. Lateral geniculate nucleus
An autopsy was performed. Identify the structures arrow.
Corpus callosum
Caudate, tail
Thalamus
Lateral geniculate nucleus
Hippocampus

4. Note the atrophy in the brain with the Alzheimer’s disease.
Normal
Severe atrophy
library.med.utah.edu

5. What microscopic pathology is in abundance in Alzheimer’s disease (AD)?

6. What microscopic pathology is in abundance in Alzheimer’s disease (AD)?
Neuritic plaques
Neurofibrillary tangles
Amyloid plaques

7. What stains would you use to evaluate microscopic pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) for these features?
Neuritic plaques
Neurofibrillary tangles
Amyloid plaques

8. What stains would you use to evaluate microscopic pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) for these features?
Neuritic plaques : Bielchowsky stain
Neurofibrillary tangles: Phosphorylated tau stain
Amyloid plaques: Beta amyloid stain

9. What “body” would you expect to see in the hippocampus of a person with AD
Hirano bodies

10. Where in the hippocampus can you find these bodies?

11. Where in the hippocampus can you find these bodies?
CA1 region of the hippocampus
CA3
CA2
CA4
CA1
Dentate gyrus

12. What are the 4 most common genes linked to AD?
Amyloid precursor protein mutation (causative gene)
Presenilin 1 and Presenilin 2 mutations (causative gene)
Apolipoprotein E4 (risk gene)