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Published Online: July 1939

CELL MINERALS IN AMAUROTIC IDIOCY, TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS AND RELATED CONDITIONS, STUDIED BY MICROINCINERATION AND SPECTROSCOPY

LEO ALEXANDER and ABRAHAM MYERSONAuthors Info & Affiliations

Publication: American Journal of Psychiatry

Volume 96, Number 1

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.96.1.77

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Abstract

(1) The ganglion cell disease of amaurotic idiocy is characterized by demineralization, that of tuberous sclerosis by hypermineralization of the cytoplasm. In this respect the ganglion cell disease of amaurotic idiocy aligns itself with other degenerative conditions; that of tuberous sclerosis with other conditions of a blastomatous or neoplastic nature. The actively proliferating reactive glia cells in amaurotic idiocy are hypermineralized, like all actively growing tissues.

(2) The demineralization of the diseased ganglion cells in amaurotic idiocy is of especial interest in view of the associated increase in lipoid material. In our studies thus far, it appears that wherever lipoid is accumulated, normally or pathologically, heat resistant mineral ashes are absent. This is well exemplified by the lipoid body of the normal myelin sheath, which is completely lacking in heat resistant mineral ash.⁴

(3) The "periventricular spongioblastomatous hamartoma," presumably an attenuated form of tuberous sclerosis, which had been described by one of us ¹⁰ and three new cases of which are reported here, shows gross hypermineralization which corresponds to that generally found in tumors and other actively growing tissues.

(4) The mineral ash picture of the brain in "Mongolian idiocy" (Langdon-Down's disease) does not show significant alterations from the normal.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

American Journal of Psychiatry

Volume 96 • Number 1 • July 1939

Pages: 77 - [86]-8

History

Published in print: July 1939

Published online: 1 April 2006

Authors

Affiliations

LEO ALEXANDER

The Division of Psychiatric Research, Boston State Hospital, and the Department of Diseases of the Nervous System, Harvard Medical School

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ABRAHAM MYERSON

The Division of Psychiatric Research, Boston State Hospital, and the Department of Diseases of the Nervous System, Harvard Medical School

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CELL MINERALS IN AMAUROTIC IDIOCY, TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS AND RELATED CONDITIONS, STUDIED BY MICROINCINERATION AND SPECTROSCOPY

Abstract

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