Sudanophilic lipid accumulation in astrocytes in periventricular leukomalacia in monkeys.

Sudanophilic lipid accumulation is a characteristic feature of periventircular leukomalacia (PVL) of infants. At least two types of lipid-containing cells have been identified, one being the macrophage, the other the "pre-myelin glial cell". A third type of lipid-containing cell has been seen in two monkeys with spontaneous PVL. Electron microscopically this cell appears to be an astrocyte. This probably represents a reaction of the astrocyte to hypoxia and may be the equivalent of the "hypertrophic" astrocytes found in human infants.