Olive pontine cerebellar atrophy

Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system with cerebellar ataxia and brain stem damage as the main clinical manifestations. In 1891, Menzel first reported two patients with clinical manifestations of Parkinson's syndrome, autonomic failure and pyramidal tract damage, which are in line with the clinical and pathological changes of multiple system atrophy (MSA). In 1900 Dejerine and Thomas named patients with this clinical manifestation OPCA. Later neurological and pathological studies found that many OPCA patients have a familial hereditary tendency, manifested as autosomal dominant or recessive inheritance, and are now classified as SCA-1 in hereditary spinocerebellar ataxia. However, some sporadic cases of OPCA mainly manifest as mild cerebellar ataxia. On this basis, coughing with drinking water and dysphagia gradually appear. The course often includes obvious symptoms of Parkinson's syndrome and autonomic failure. In addition, a few patients may have one or more of the symptoms of bilateral pyramidal tract signs, limb muscle atrophy, nystagmus or paralysis of extraocular muscles. Currently, only patients with sporadic hair are classified as MSA.

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