Three-dimensional reconstruction of the lentiform nucleus from serial sections in man

Three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of the lentiform nucleus was performed by using serial macroscopic anatomic sections, taken from a human cadaver. When the rendered form of this wire-frame reconstruction was examined, it was found that both the putamen and globus pallidus had upper and lower poles. The distances between the upper and lower poles were 2.23 cm in the putamen and 1.45 cm in the globus pallidus. The lower poles of the putamen and globus pallidus were about the same level but the upper pole of the putamen was 0.78 cm higher than in the globus pallidus. The vertical dimension of the lentiform nucleus was 22.9 mm. This is the first study reporting the three-dimensional reconstruction and the dimensions of the lentiform nucleus of the human brain. We believe that this study will be of help in future studies concerning the lentiform nucleus and its relations.