A 28-year-old man is evaluated after a high-speed motorcycle collision.He is in an unresponsive state after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. A CT scan of the head showed no abnormalities. He dies despite proper treatment. His medical history is unavailable. Brain autopsy examination shows widespread axonal swelling, predominantly at the gray-white junction. Immunohistochemical staining of these axons reveals accumulation of alpha-synuclein and amyloid precursor proteins. Which of the following is the most likely cause of these observed findings?

Question

A 28-year-old man is evaluated after a high-speed motorcycle collision.He is in an unresponsive state after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. A CT scan of the head showed no abnormalities. He dies despite proper treatment. His medical history is unavailable. Brain autopsy examination shows widespread axonal swelling, predominantly at the gray-white junction.  Immunohistochemical staining of these axons reveals accumulation of alpha-synuclein and amyloid precursor proteins.  Which of the following is the most likely cause of these observed findings?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a type of traumatic brain injury that results from disruption of the white matter tracts.  Microscopically, DAI is visible as widespread axonal swelling, most pronounced at the gray-white matter junction, with accumulation of transport proteins (eg, amyloid precursor, alpha-synuclein) at the site of injury.

A 28-Year-Old Man Is Evaluated After a High-Speed Motorcycle Collision