Corpora arenacea (singular: corpus arenaceum,[1] also called brain sand or acervuli[2][3] or psammoma bodies[4] or pineal concretions[4]) are
calcified structures in the
pineal gland and other areas of the
brain such as the
choroid plexus. Older organisms have numerous corpora arenacea, whose function, if any, is unknown. Concentrations of "brain sand" increase with
age, so the pineal gland becomes increasingly visible on
X-rays over time, usually by the third or fourth decade. They are sometimes used as anatomical landmarks in
radiological examinations.[5]
^Angervall, Lennart; Berger, Sven; Röckert, Hans (2009). "A Microradiographic and X-Ray Crystallographic Study of Calcium in the Pineal Body and in Intracranial Tumours". Acta Pathologica et Microbiologica Scandinavica. 44 (2): 113–119.
doi:
10.1111/j.1699-0463.1958.tb01060.x.
PMID13594470.
^Bocchi, Giancarlo; Valdre, Giovanni; Valdre, Giovanni (1993). "Physical, chemical, and mineralogical characterization of carbonate-hydroxyapatite concretions of the human pineal gland". Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 49 (3): 209–20.
doi:
10.1016/0162-0134(93)80006-U.
PMID8381851.
^Baconnier, Simon; Lang, Sidney B.; Polomska, Maria; Hilczer, Bozena; Berkovic, Garry; Meshulam, Guilia (2002). "Calcite microcrystals in the pineal gland of the human brain: First physical and chemical studies". Bioelectromagnetics. 23 (7): 488–95.
doi:
10.1002/bem.10053.
PMID12224052.
S2CID13276067.
Further reading
Garma-Aviña, A. (2000). "Excretory Plugs from the Choroid Plexus in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Dogs with Neurological Disease: Possible Role in the Formation of Corpora Arenacea". Journal of Comparative Pathology. 123 (2–3): 146–51.
doi:
10.1053/jcpa.2000.0405.
PMID11032668.
Reiter, Russel J.; Welsh, Marcia G.; Vaughan, Mary K. (1976). "Age-related changes in the intact and sympathetically denervated gerbil pineal gland". American Journal of Anatomy. 146 (4): 427–31.
doi:
10.1002/aja.1001460405.
PMID941859.
Vigh, B; Vigh-Teichmann, I; Aros, B (1989). "Pineal corpora arenacea produced by arachnoid cells in the bat Myotis blythi oxygnathus". Zeitschrift für Mikroskopisch-anatomische Forschung. 103 (1): 36–45.
PMID2756745.
Corpora arenacea (singular: corpus arenaceum,[1] also called brain sand or acervuli[2][3] or psammoma bodies[4] or pineal concretions[4]) are
calcified structures in the
pineal gland and other areas of the
brain such as the
choroid plexus. Older organisms have numerous corpora arenacea, whose function, if any, is unknown. Concentrations of "brain sand" increase with
age, so the pineal gland becomes increasingly visible on
X-rays over time, usually by the third or fourth decade. They are sometimes used as anatomical landmarks in
radiological examinations.[5]
^Angervall, Lennart; Berger, Sven; Röckert, Hans (2009). "A Microradiographic and X-Ray Crystallographic Study of Calcium in the Pineal Body and in Intracranial Tumours". Acta Pathologica et Microbiologica Scandinavica. 44 (2): 113–119.
doi:
10.1111/j.1699-0463.1958.tb01060.x.
PMID13594470.
^Bocchi, Giancarlo; Valdre, Giovanni; Valdre, Giovanni (1993). "Physical, chemical, and mineralogical characterization of carbonate-hydroxyapatite concretions of the human pineal gland". Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 49 (3): 209–20.
doi:
10.1016/0162-0134(93)80006-U.
PMID8381851.
^Baconnier, Simon; Lang, Sidney B.; Polomska, Maria; Hilczer, Bozena; Berkovic, Garry; Meshulam, Guilia (2002). "Calcite microcrystals in the pineal gland of the human brain: First physical and chemical studies". Bioelectromagnetics. 23 (7): 488–95.
doi:
10.1002/bem.10053.
PMID12224052.
S2CID13276067.
Further reading
Garma-Aviña, A. (2000). "Excretory Plugs from the Choroid Plexus in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Dogs with Neurological Disease: Possible Role in the Formation of Corpora Arenacea". Journal of Comparative Pathology. 123 (2–3): 146–51.
doi:
10.1053/jcpa.2000.0405.
PMID11032668.
Reiter, Russel J.; Welsh, Marcia G.; Vaughan, Mary K. (1976). "Age-related changes in the intact and sympathetically denervated gerbil pineal gland". American Journal of Anatomy. 146 (4): 427–31.
doi:
10.1002/aja.1001460405.
PMID941859.
Vigh, B; Vigh-Teichmann, I; Aros, B (1989). "Pineal corpora arenacea produced by arachnoid cells in the bat Myotis blythi oxygnathus". Zeitschrift für Mikroskopisch-anatomische Forschung. 103 (1): 36–45.
PMID2756745.