Axonal polyglucosan body in the ventral posterolateral nucleus of the human thalamus in relation to ageing.

Axonal polyglucosan bodies in myelinated axons in the ventral posterolateral nucleus of the human thalamus (VPL) are described. These axonal inclusions were distributed exclusively in the dorsolateral part of the caudal VPL, and their arrangement may be associated with fibres originating from the gracile nucleus. They were not observed in patients under age of 50, and appeared to increase in number and size with advancing age. It is suggested that axonal polyglucosan bodies are an ageing phenomenon of the secondary sensory fibres.