title: [Shy-Drager syndrome].
abstract: Shy-Drager syndrome is characterized by severe orthostatic hypotension and other autonomic dysfunctions, cerebellar ataxia, parkinsonism, and upper and lower motor neuron symptoms. The disease starts in the 4th to 6th decades with severe dizziness, blackout or syncopi on standing up, and the duration of the illness is 6-7 years in the majority of the cases. The pathological lesions responsible for the autonomic dysfunctions are in the hypothalamus, locus saeruleus, Edinger-Westphal and other nuclei in the brain stem, intermediolateral column and Onuf's nuclei in the spinal cord. Oppenheimer has postulated a concept of multiple system atrophy to such widely distributed degenerative neurological disorders. However, olivopontocerebellar atrophy of Dejerine and Thomas, striatonigral degeneration and this syndrome can be distinguished clinically as well as pathologically.
authors.affiliation: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Toho University.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Araki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012791:Shy-Drager Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*