Heredity in multiple system atrophy.
We investigated the family histories of 157 Japanese patients with probable or possible multiple system atrophy (MSA). A family history of neurodegenerative disorders was only detected in three MSA patients (1.9%). We evaluated these patients by careful neurological examination, neuroimaging studies, and genetic studies to exclude hereditary spinocerebellar ataxia with a similar clinical phenotype to MSA. The results indicated that one of them had a family history of MSA. Although the familial presence of neurodegenerative disorders is rare in MSA patients, the existence of such cases suggests that MSA may have a genetic background.
Soma
Hiroyuki
H
Department of Neurology, Hokkaido University, Graduate School of Medicine, and Hokuyukai Neurology Hospital, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8368, Japan.
Yabe
Ichiro
I
Takei
Asako
A
Fujiki
Naoto
N
Yanagihara
Tetsuro
T
Sasaki
Hidenao
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D040941:Heredity; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology