On the Nature, Origin and Distribution of the Corpora Amylacea of the Brain with Observations on Some New Staining Reactions

Abstract

Corpora amylacea (C.A.) or amyloid bodies found in the brain and the product of amyloid degeneration in other organs derive their name from the starch-like reaction which they give with iodine (Virchow); otherwise these substances have few points in common, and while amyloid disease has become fairly rare nowadays, the presence of C.A. constitutes one of the regular changes in senile and senescent brains. This is perhaps why it has attracted much less attention than amyloid degeneration. For instance in 18 out of 25 papers, containing detailed accounts of the histo-pathological pictures, I found no references to C.A., yet one could hardly assume that amyloid bodies were overlooked. Most text-books pay scanty attention to the subject, while Buzzard and Greenfield (1921) consider it of no pathological significance. Since, however, C.A. are encountered under a variety of conditions (not merely senility), in greatly varying amounts and at different sites in the central nervous system, it may be worth while to investigate their nature, origin and occurrence in the light of recent observation.