STENOSIS OF THE CENTRAL CANAL OF THE SPINAL-CORD FOLLOWING INOCULATION OF SUCKLING HAMSTERS WITH REOVIRUS TYPE-I

The central canal of the human spinal cord is partially or completely occluded in the vast majority of individuals by the early years of adu lt life. The authors describe an experimental lesion following virus-i nduced ependymitis that bears a striking resemblance to the condition in man. Suckling hamsters were inoculated with 0.06 ml of 10(-3) infec tivity titer of reovirus type I between the 2nd and 5th days of life. The pathological events consisted of necrotizing ependymitis, healing of the ependyma by gliovascular scarring, and obstruction of narrow bo ttlenecks such as the central canal. Histological findings were charac terized by disorganization of the ependyma, formation of ependymal ros ettes and microtubules, subependymal gliovascular scarring, and intrac analicular gliosis. These features are the same as those encountered c linically and provide strong evidence that stenosis of the central can al in man is a pathological lesion involving ependymal injury and scar ring.