Brain necrosis
The development of necrosis is divided into four stages. The first stage is marked by paranecrosis - reversible changes. At the second stage, irreversible dystrophic changes are formed - necrobiosis. The third stage involves the decomposition of the dead substrate - autolysis. Complete cell death is observed in the fourth stage. The disease is very unpredictable, so it is very difficult to accurately determine the time required for these stages.
The brain is the central organ of the nervous system that regulates all functions of the human body. It is a symmetrical structure consisting of two cerebral hemispheres covered with grooves and convolutions. In the back is the cerebellum, at the bottom the brain stem passes into the spinal cord.
The blood supply to the brain is provided by the carotid arteries, branching into large branches connecting its various parts. There are protective mechanisms that maintain cerebral blood flow in the event of injury. The cause of brain diseases can be vasoconstriction in atherosclerosis of the arteries, when there is a decrease in the lumen of the vessel due to the growing plaque formed on the walls of the arteries.
As a result, blood flow becomes obstructed, chronic insufficiency of blood supply develops and a blockage of blood vessels appears. In the narrowing zone, the elasticity of the vessel is disturbed, cracks appear on which a blood clot forms, which completely blocks the artery. As a result, tissue cells die, and necrosis develops. The disease is asymptomatic, patients feel unreasonable fatigue, the first signs may indicate an ischemic stroke.
Ischemic stroke of the brain contributes to the cessation of blood flow to the brain and leads to the death of certain parts of it, i.e., to a cerebral infarction. Brain infarction is a consequence of diseases of the cardiovascular system, hypertension, bronchial asthma, leukemia, diabetes mellitus, and inflammatory processes in the kidneys. Stress, alcohol abuse, smoking, obesity, predominance of fatty foods in the diet are unfavorable factors affecting the development of cerebral ischemia.
Thus, various biochemical processes are triggered in the body, leading to the death of brain cells and to irreversible necrotic changes. Brain necrosis is a heart attack, provoked by thrombosis, embolism, constant spasm of the arteries, hypoxic conditions. The color of the cerebral infarction is white. Since brain tissue is rich in fluid and poor in protein, colliquation (wet) necrosis develops in them, characterized by the melting of dead tissue.
Necrosis can occur after radiation therapy. This happens because the method of treating a brain tumor has a destructive effect on the blood-brain barrier. The mechanism of the appearance of necrosis, in this case, is as follows: a lot of fluid accumulates in the region of the brain, which becomes an obstacle to the flow of oxygenated blood, and this becomes the cause of tissue necrosis.
Spinal cord necrosis
The spinal cord fills the spinal canal and is a cylindrical cord with an internal cavity. It is held in place by the ligaments that connect the membrane and the inner wall of the bone canal. The spinal cord is simple in structure. It connects the brain to the periphery and ensures the activity of reflex segments.
The space between the canal walls and the brain in the spinal canal is filled with adipose tissue, brain membranes, blood vessels, and cerebrospinal fluid. The gray matter contains the bodies of nerve cells and their processes. When injured, the spinal cord and its membranes are damaged. In them, as well as in the roots, bruises and areas of necrosis often appear. All of this is caused by impaired circulation.
The focus of necrosis arising from damage spreads up and down from the site of the lesion. There is primary and secondary necrosis of the spinal cord. Their combination causes the spread of necrotic changes far beyond the injured area. Spinal cord necrosis is preceded by vascular-inflammatory changes in the gray and white matter. This process is characterized by the appearance of lymphoid infiltration of the walls of blood vessels, a focal increase in blood filling, edema, minor hemorrhages, death of nerve cells.
Dystrophic and necrobiotic changes are found. Fever, headache, severe malaise, pain in the back and between the shoulder blades, in the arms, lower back. With an unfavorable course of the disease, a particularly severe focus is observed in the cervical part of the spinal cord. Long-term treatment aimed at normalizing respiratory failure and persistent disorders of the functions of various organs.
Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist
Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".
