Search
dementia pugilistica
Dementing disorder resulting from repetitive head trauma as occurs in boxers.
Epidemiology:
1) amateur boxers
2) professional boxers
Pathology:
1) abnormalities in the septum pellucidum
a) enlargement of the cavum
b) fenestration of the leaves
2) thinning of fornices & corpus callosum
3) scarring & neuronal loss in the cerebellum
4) degeneration of the substantia nigra
-> loss of neurons & pigment
5) neurofibrillary tangles
a) numerous
b) found diffusely throughout the cerebral cortex & brainstem
c) distinct predilection for medial temporal grey matter
d) otherwise tangles followed Alzheimer-like distribution
6) no or few senile plaques
a) characteristically absent when stained with silver or Congo red
b) diffuse deposits of amyloid A4 peptide are revealed by immunocytochemical methods
Differential diagnosis:
- Alzheimer's disease or other dementia
- chronic traumatic encephalopathy (probably the same disorder)
Related
chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
General
tauopathy
traumatic brain injury (TBI)
dementia; Alzheimer's disease & related dementias (ADRD)
References
- Greenfield's Neuropathology, 5th ed, Adams JH & Duchen LW (eds),
Oxford University Press, New York, 1992