Premium
Development of Brain and Spinal Cord in Anencephaly
Author(s) -
Anand Mahindra Kumar,
Verma Meena,
Lakhani Chintan
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.870.2
Subject(s) - anencephaly , spinal cord , neuroscience , medicine , physical medicine and rehabilitation , anatomy , psychology , biology , pregnancy , fetus , genetics
Anencephaly is the severest form of neural tube defect. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the development of brain and spinal cord in anencephaly foetuses (specimens). 43 specimens with anencephaly were collected after obtaining written consent from parents and clearance from Ethic committee of the Institute as per declaration of Helsinki guidelines. All the specimens were fixed in buffered formalin. Gestational age of foetuses varied from 18 to 40 weeks. There was preponderance of female foetuses. 31 (72%) foetuses had only anencephaly while 9 (21%) foetuses had additional spina bifida and 3 (7%) had meningomyelocele. On internal examination of 43 fetuses with anencephaly, the brain was seen as a dark brown undifferentiated mass with complete absence of the cerebellum, pons, medulla and midbrain. In 34 fetuses (79%), spinal cord was normal in appearance and structure and was seen to be directly merging into the undifferentiated dark brown mass. In 6 fetuses (13.9%), spinal cord continued into a small part of open neural tube, at its cranial end corresponding to the position of medulla and pons. Spinal cord was normal in appearance. Spinal cord was seen deformed in 3 foetuses (7%) having meningomyelocele. Microscopic appearance of brain in the 43 foetuses with anencephaly was reminiscent of an angioma, consisting of venous vessels of varying calibre interspersed with connective tissue and islets of nervous tissue which mainly comprised of scattered nerve cells, astroglial cells and cavities lined by ependyma. Hence, in foetuses with anencephaly, brain was replaced by an undifferentiated mass of connective tissue and vessels. Spinal cord was normal in all anencephaly foetuses.