Periventricular heterotopias display cortical degenerative neuropathology

This report describes beta-amyloid plaques in periventricular heterotopias in two elderly women. The neuropathologic features of the heterotopias recapitulated those of nearby neocortex but were distinct from those of adjacent caudate nucleus. In response to the factors important in plaque and tangle formation, the heterotopias biologically behave like neocortex and unlike adjacent striatum, further supporting the morphologic evidence that these tissues represent heterotopic cortex.