Summary
Nine cases of sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy [Déjérine-Thomas type, multisystemic atrophy (MSA)] were examined histologically and electron microscopically with special reference to the corticopontine tract. Five of nine cases showed degeneration of the myelinated nerve fibres in this tract. More severe degeneration of the fibres at the level of the pons than the crus cerebri indicates that degeneration of the fibres may start axodistally. Electron microscopy revealed selective involvement of large fibres in olivopontocerebellar atrophy, in contrast to unselective axonal atrophy in dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy. The problem whether the degeneration of the tract is primary or secondary due to the loss of the pontine neurons remains open. We believe the former to be most likely. Degeneration of the corticopontine fibres should be added to the list of neuropathological findings in sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Clark AW, Griffin JW, Price DL (1980) The axonal pathology in chronic IDPN intoxication. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 39:42–55
Eadie MJ (1975) Olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy (Déjérine-Thomas type). In: Vinken PJ, Bruyn GW (eds) Textbook of clinical neurology, vol. 25. North-Holland publishing company Amsterdam, pp 415–431
Geary GR, Earl KM, Rose AS (1956) Olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy. Neurology 6:218–224
Goldby F (1957) A note on transneuronal atrophy in the human lateral geniculate body. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 20:202–207
Kupfer C (1965) The distribution of cell size in the lateral geniculate nucleus of man following transneuronal cell atrophy. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 24:653–511
Noica D, Nicolesco J, Banu E (1936) Contribution a l'étude de l'atrophie olivo-onto-cérébelluse. Rev Neurol (Paris) 66:285–306
O'Neill JH, Gilliatt RW (1987) Adaptation of the myelin sheath during axonal atrophy. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 74:62–66
O'Neill H, Jacobs JM, Gilliatt RW, Baba M (1984) Changes in the compact myelin of single internodes during axonal atrophy. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 63:313–318
Oppenheimer DR (1983) Neuropathology of progressive autonomic failure. In: Bannister R (ed) Autonomic failure. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 267–283
Oppenheimer DR (1984) Disease of the basal ganglia, cerebellum and motor neurons. In: Adams JM, Corsellis JAM, Duchen LW (eds) Greenfield's neuropathology. E Arnold, London, pp 699–747
Truex RC, Carpenter MB (1969) Human neuroanatomy, 6th edn. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, p 578
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yagishita, S., Yokoi, S., Iwabuchi, K. et al. Degeneration of the corticopontine tract in olivopontocerebellar atrophy. Vichows Archiv A Pathol Anat 418, 99–103 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01600284
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01600284