Columnar arrangement of beta-amyloid protein deposits in the cerebral cortex of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

The spatial pattern of beta-amyloid protein (BAP) deposits in Alzheimer's disease cerebral cortex was investigated. In cortical areas where the accumulation of BAP was relatively sparse, the deposits tended to accumulate vertically in a columnar arrangement. Typically, these aggregates consisted of both consolidated and diffuse deposits approximately 200 to 600 microns in width. Blood vessels running perpendicularly to the pial surface were sometimes observed penetrating the center of these columns, but this was not a consistent finding. These BAP extracellular aggregates might be related to the columnar organization of the cerebral cortex.