HISTOLOGIC CHANGES IN THE BRAIN IN CASES OF FATAL INJURY TO THE HEAD

Abstract

In this series of investigations on the histologic changes in brain tissues following injury, it has been our object to study separately the alterations in the various structures and elements. In previous investigations we have been concerned with the reaction of the choroid plexus and ependyma and the interstitial structures of the brain tissue proper. Working on the assumption that the epithelial cells of the choroid plexus and, to a lesser extent, those of the ependyma have a secretory function, we found that evidences of such activity were more abundant after injury than in the normal subject. The reaction of the interstitial elements was found to be concerned with the protection of the parenchyma from an increased amount of tissue fluid (oligodendroglia), with the removal of hopelessly damaged tissue (microglia) and, finally, with the process of repair (neuroglia). Interesting as these studies have been, they leave unanswered many important questions