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Neuropathology

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Spinal Cord Disease

Abstract

The tissue of the spinal cord is similar to that of the brain and is made up of two main types consisting of the highly specialized neurones (nerve cells) with their processes, and the neuroglial cells (Lantos 1990a). Both of these are of neuroectodermal origin in contrast to the second main type of tissue which has an origin in mesoderm and comprises the meninges, the blood vessels and their supporting connective tissue and microglia. Whereas some of the diseases affecting the spinal cord are similar to those seen in other organs, e.g. inflammation, vascular disease and tumours, others are primarily diseases of spinal neurones affecting their cell body, axons and myelin sheaths. Therefore, it follows that because the constituent cells of the spinal cord are similar to those found elsewhere in the nervous system, the disease processes and the tissue reaction in response to them are similar to those found elsewhere in the brain (Hughes 1978; Esiri and Oppenheimer 1989; Lantos 1990b). However, the prevalence of the various disease processes in the spinal cord differs from that found elsewhere in the brain.

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Authors
  1. D. I. Graham
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Royal Preston Hospital, Sharoe Green Lane, Preston, PR2 4HT, UK

    Edmund Critchley DM, FRCP

  2. Vancouver General Hospital, 855 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada

    Andrew Eisen MD, FRCP(C)

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© 1997 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Graham, D.I. (1997). Neuropathology. In: Critchley, E., Eisen, A. (eds) Spinal Cord Disease. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0911-2_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-0911-2_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-1233-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-0911-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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