Granulovacuolar degeneration

Granulovacuolar degeneration refers to the occurrence within neurons of abnormal, fluid-filled bubbles (vacuoles) containing a dense proteinaceous granule.

[1] Granulovacuoles occur most commonly in pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus.

They are present in small numbers in non-demented elderly people, but increase in frequency in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies.

[2] In Alzheimer's disease, granulovacuoles proliferate stage-wise in different brain areas, and their prevalence is correlated with the degree of tauopathy, Abeta plaque pathology, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

[2] Although granulovacuoles and their functional significance are still poorly understood, they have been compared to autophagic vacuoles [4] This article related to pathology is a stub.

Granulovacuolar degeneration (arrow designates one cluster of vacuoles) in the cytoplasm of pyramidal neurons in the hippocampal formation of a person with Alzheimer's disease. Hematoxylin and eosin stain. Scale bar = 20 microns (0.02mm).