ABSTRACT
Plate 1 Microscopic features of cortical dysplasia: (a) Normal cerebral cortex (middle temporal gyrus) from a patient with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy. Note well-organized cortex with five out of six cortical layers clearly identified. (b) Surgically resected cortical dysplasia from a pediatric patient with intractable epilepsy. Note severely disorganized cortical tissue without a laminar substructure. (c) A high-power view of the disorganized tissue shown in panel (b). Note a large/giant dysplastic cytomegalic neuron (arrow) with a large nucleolated nucleus and scattered Nissl substance at the periphery of pale cytoplasm, and large gemistocytic astrocyte-like ‘balloon cells’ (arrowheads). (Hematoxylin & eosin, (a),(b) 50; (c) 240.) See also Figure 5.3.
