Autofl uorescent chalcedony in human brains from elderly patients

M PRADO FIGUEROA, J SÁNCHEZ LIHÓN

BIOTECHNIC AND HISTOCHEMISTRY

INFORMA HEALTHCARE

Año: 2010 vol. 85 p. 171 - 176

1052-0295

Chalcedony, a microcrystalline form of silica (SiO 2 ), has been found in the human brains of elderly patients by using a standard optical petrographic microscope. We document here our visualization of chalcedony using a Leica TCS – SP2 confocal laser scanning microscope. Sections of human brain were collected after autopsy from elderly patients. The autofl uorescent character of chalcedony allowed us to obtain three-dimensional images of the crystals and mature prismatic quartz (chalcedony) was observed. Chalcedony occurred as rhombohedral (trigonal) crystals approximately 30 ìm in size distributed in patches or aggregates. A less mature silica polymorph of about 1–2 ìm in size was detected near the crystals. This is the fi rst time that biogenically-produced crystalline mineral as autofl uorescent crystal aggregates has been observed in the human central nervous system of elderly patients using confocal laser scanning microscopy. patients by using a standard optical petrographic microscope. We document here our visualization of chalcedony using a Leica TCS – SP2 confocal laser scanning microscope. Sections of human brain were collected after autopsy from elderly patients. The autofl uorescent character of chalcedony allowed us to obtain three-dimensional images of the crystals and mature prismatic quartz (chalcedony) was observed. Chalcedony occurred as rhombohedral (trigonal) crystals approximately 30 ìm in size distributed in patches or aggregates. A less mature silica polymorph of about 1–2 ìm in size was detected near the crystals. This is the fi rst time that biogenically-produced crystalline mineral as autofl uorescent crystal aggregates has been observed in the human central nervous system of elderly patients using confocal laser scanning microscopy. 2 ), has been found in the human brains of elderly patients by using a standard optical petrographic microscope. We document here our visualization of chalcedony using a Leica TCS – SP2 confocal laser scanning microscope. Sections of human brain were collected after autopsy from elderly patients. The autofl uorescent character of chalcedony allowed us to obtain three-dimensional images of the crystals and mature prismatic quartz (chalcedony) was observed. Chalcedony occurred as rhombohedral (trigonal) crystals approximately 30 ìm in size distributed in patches or aggregates. A less mature silica polymorph of about 1–2 ìm in size was detected near the crystals. This is the fi rst time that biogenically-produced crystalline mineral as autofl uorescent crystal aggregates has been observed in the human central nervous system of elderly patients using confocal laser scanning microscopy.