Pathological Studies on the Intracerebral and Retinal Arteries in Cerebrovascular and Noncerebrovascular Diseases

Abstract

Histological examinations of the intracerebral and retinal arteries were performed in patients who had cerebrovascular disease and in those cases who did not. Fibrinoid degeneration, fibrous nodule, and splitting, which are most frequently found in putamen, thalamus and pons, are thought to be the main changes in cerebral hemorrhage and infarction. Fibrous and fibro-hyalinoid thickenings of the retinal arteries were found mainly in the neighboring region of the optic disk, which reflects the changes of the intracerebral arteries. Hyalinoid thickening was found in the ora serrata, which does not reflect the changes of the intracerebral arteries. Our results suggest that patients with these retinal artery changes in the region near the optic disk, if moderate to severe, have an increased risk of having or incurring cerebral hemorrhage and infarction, but the arterial changes in the ora serrata do not always indicate risk of cerebral hemorrhage and infarction.