Anzeige
Erschienen in:
02.07.2020 | Case-Based Review
Post-mortem histopathology of a pediatric brain after bilateral DBS of GPI for status dystonicus: case report and review of the literature
Erschienen in: Child's Nervous System | Ausgabe 9/2020
Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhaltenAbstract
Purpose
To investigate the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes on the brain of a dystonic pediatric patient submitted to bilateral DBS of the globus pallidus internus (GPI).
Methods
An 8-year-old male patient underwent bilateral DBS of GPI for status dystonicus. He died 2 months later due to multiorgan failure triggered by bacterial pneumonia. A post-mortem pathological study of the brain was done.
Results
At visual inspection, no grossly apparent softening, hemorrhage, or necrosis of the brain adjacent to the DBS lead tracts was detected. High-power microscopic examination of the tissue surrounding the electrode trajectories showed lymphocyte infiltration, astrocytic gliosis, microglia, macrophages, and clusters of multinucleate giant cells. Significant astrocytosis was confirmed by GFAP staining in the electrode site. The T cell lymphocyte activity was overexpressed with activated macrophages detected with CD3, CD20, CD45, and CD68 stains respectively. There was no gliosis or leukocyte infiltration away from the surgical tracks of the electrodes.
Conclusion
This is the first post-mortem examination of a child’s brain after bilateral DBS of GPI. The comparison with adult post-mortem reports showed no significant differences and confirms the safety of DBS implantation in the pediatric population too.