Status lacunatus; Multi-infarct dementia: This is a horizontal section; with the frontal horns toward the top of the slide and posterior horns toward the bottom. The feature of interest is the multiple tiny cavitated areas that have the appearance of pockmarks on the cut surface within the basal ganglia, thalamus, and internal capsule. These small cavities are old infarcts that are due to atherosclerotic occlusions of penetrating arteries. When these small, "lacunar" infarcts are numerous this condition is called "status lacunatus". Because of the extensive involvement of the thalamus and of association areas of white matter in some cases, this pathologic condition may be manifested by dementia clinically.