DEGENERATION OF THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SENSORY NEURONES AFTER TRIGEMINAL INJECTION

Abstract

The Gasserian ganglion of a 73-yr.-old male patient with tic doloreux was injected with 0.1 ml. procaine and 0.5 ml. 90% alcohol in divided doses of 0.05 ml. Anesthesia to pin pricks over the right trigeminal area persisted 6.5 wks. later, the last examination having been made 2 days before the patient''s death from cancer of the lungs. The brain was removed 60 hrs. after death and fixed in 20% formol saline for 14 days. After celloidin embedding, sections stained with Kulschitsky''s modification of Weigert-Pal, Ehrlich''s hematoxylin-eosin, thionin, Loyez'' myelin stain, and Gros'' silver stain were examined and compared with 6 necropsy control brains. There was almost total destruction of the sensory root in the pons and throughout the spinal tract. The mesencephalic root was unaltered. Trans-synaptic degeneration was indicated by degenerative changes in the secondary neurones in the main sensory and spinal nuclei and in a large proportion of some of their fibers.