Neuropathology for the neuroradiologist: plaques and tangles

Histologically identified intracellular and extracellular inclusions and structures often provide a tissue diagnosis of a specific disease process. Moreover, these deposits may provide clues about the pathogenesis of the disease in which they are found. Two distinctive structures seen within the brains of patients clinically diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer type are extracellular plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. The purpose of this report is to review the significance of plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the context of Alzheimer disease.