DISTRIBUTION OF CEREBELLAR CORTICAL-LESIONS IN MULTIPLE SYSTEM ATROPHY - A TOPOGRAPHIC NEUROPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF 3 AUTOPSY CASES IN JAPAN

We investigated neuropathologically the distribution of the cerebellar cortical lesions in three Japanese autopsy cases of multiple system a trophy (MSA) using hemisphere specimens. The lesions were classified a s mild, moderate or severe. The distribution of cerebellar cortical le sions in all three cases were uniform: the cerebellar cortical lesions were more conspicuous in the vermis than in the hemisphere. These neu ropathological findings differ from the established theory that cerebe llar lesions of MSA are more pronounced in the hemisphere than in the vermis, The degree of cerebellar cortical lesions in our cases increas ed in relation to the duration of the disease, Our pathological data m ay contribute to the morphological differential diagnosis in various n eurodegenerative disorders including late cortical cerebellar atrophy. Our neuropathological findings may also make a contribution to the ne uroradiological progress in the differential diagnosis of spinocerebel lar disease. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.