Final answer:
The characteristic pathological lesion of GSS is PrP plaques, which is distinct from Ghon complexes associated with tuberculosis. GSS is a prion disease while TB is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristic pathological lesion of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) syndrome involves the formation of PrP plaques within the brain. GSS is a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disorder, which belongs to a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, or prion diseases. Like other prion diseases, GSS is associated with the accumulation of an abnormal form of the prion protein, leading to neuronal damage and the plaques mentioned above.
The Ghon complex, is another characteristic lesion but of a different disease called tuberculosis (TB). It is a calcified lesion containing Mycobacterium tuberculosis and forms in the lungs of patients with TB. These complexes can be visible on chest radiographs and represent healed lesions that could potentially harbor viable bacteria that may reactivate in immunocompromised individuals.
Both GSS and TB feature the development of distinctive lesions, with the former involving neurodegenerative PrP plaques, and the latter involving calcified lesions in the lungs. Despite the similarities in the formation of characteristic lesions, GSS and TB affect different body systems, and their pathological effects reflect these distinctions.