HISTOCHEMICAL AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS ON ONION BULB FORMATIONS IN A CASE OF HYPERTROPHIC NEURITIS OF 25 YEARS DURATION WITH ONSET IN CHILDHOOD

Histochemical and electron microscopic data are presented from a patient with hypertrophic neuritis of 25 years duration with onset in childhood. The present observations and those of recent investigators form the basis of a discussion of various pathogenetic hypotheses for onion bulb" structures in the nerves from patients with hypertrophic neuritis. It is concluded that the onion bulb lesion is a nonspecific manifestation of chronic segmental demyelinization resulting from a primary or acquired abnormality of Schwann cells. © 1968 Springer-Verlag."