Neuritic plaques (also known as senile plaques) are pathological extracellular aggregates formed around a core of amyloid β peptide and are a hallmark of Alzheimer disease.
They should not be confused with neurofibrillary tangles which are intracytoplasmic.
Pathology
Neuritic plaques are extracellular and are composed of two components, a central core surrounded by a corona 1,2.
The central core is composed of an aggregate of extracellular beta-pleated amyloid, composed of amyloid β Peptide. It demonstrates apple-green birefringence after Congo red stain and fluoresces after thioflavin S staining 2.
The corona, which surrounds the central core, is composed of degenerating neurons (primarily axons) containing tau protein and ubiquitin.
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.