An autopsied case of Parkinson's disease manifesting Shy-Drager syndrome]

We report an autopsied case of Parkinson's disease manifesting Shy-Drager syndrome. At the age of 63 years, the patient noticed an onset of progressive orthostatic dizziness, which was followed by constipation, dysuria, and sexual impotence. When he was 66 years old, syncopal attack for a few minutes, tremor in the bilateral hands, and memory disturbance developed. On admission, his blood pressure was 142/72 mmHg in supine position, which fell to 58/42 mmHg on standing with appropriate increase of heart rate. Neurological examination revealed hallucination, memory disturbance, masked face, muscular rigidity, bradykinesia, mild postural tremor, and autonomic dysfunction including severe orthostatic hypotension, hypohydrosis, constipation, dysuria, and sexual impotence. Electroencephalogram showed diffuse slowing. Brain CT demonstrated absence of severe atrophy of the cerebellum, and brain stem. Pharmacological study revealed denervation hypersensitivity to the intravenously administrated noradrenaline. A diagnosis of Shy-Drager syndrome was made, and he was treated with anti parkinsonian drugs. However, no improvement was observed in his clinical symptoms. Seven months later, he died of pneumonia. Neuropathological examination revealed marked neuronal cell loss and gliosis in the substantia nigra and locus ceruleus. Lewy bodies were seen in those pigmented nuclei, dorsal vagal nucleus, hypothalamus and nucleus basalis of Meynert. No abnormality was found in the intermediolateral nucleus of the spinal cord. This is the first report on a Japanese patient who presented clinically Shy-Drager syndrome and pathologically typical Parkinson's disease. In this patient, from the pharmacological and pathological findings, sympathetic ganglia were supposed to be the responsible lesion for orthostatic hypotension.     

An autopsy case of dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy showing marked atrophy of the brain stem

An autopsy case of a 66 year-old woman is reported. She developed personality change and psychotic symptoms at the age of 58. She began to show gait disturbance and forgetfullness at the age of 60. She was admitted to Okayama University Hospital at the age of 61, when she showed personality change, dementia, cerebellar sings and chorea like involuntary movement. The illness progressed slowly and she died of septicemia at the age of 66. At autopsy brain weighed 990 g. Macroscopically, the atrophy of the brain stem was severe, and the cerebellum was slightly atrophic. Microscopically, the globus pallidus was almost intact, but the degeneration involved dentate nuclei, their projections, red nucleus and the subthalamic nuclei, so this case was considered to be a case of pseudo-Huntington form of dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy, proposed by Hirayama. The most striking feature of this case was marked atrophy of the brain stem and her intense familial history. Investigation of her familial history revealed that there were 18 affected cases in 5 successive generations. Their onset of the disease varied from the age of 10 to 60 years old. Cases of juvenile onset showed myoclonus and convulsion as the initial symptoms, and convulsion as the initial symptoms, and those of presenile onset showed dementia, cerebellar ataxia and chorea like involuntary movement. And in some of these cases it was proved by NMR-CT that their brain stem were small. We discussed the meaning of the atrophy of the brain stem in these cases and the difference of the symptoms between the cases of juvenile onset and the cases of presenile onset.     

多系统萎缩17例临床分析和一例尸检报告

目的 分析多系统萎缩的临床、病理特点和诊断标准。方法 按Gilman诊断标准,回顾性分析了17例多系统萎缩的临床资料和其中1例病理资料。结果 按Gilman诊断标准,本组17例中,确诊多系统萎缩1例,拟诊12例,可疑者4例。首发症状表现为植物神经功能障碍者8例,锥体外系体征8例。病程中出现姿位性低血压的有12例;排尿障碍16例,阳痿9例;帕金森综合征症状12例;共济失调13例;皮质兴髓束损害12例。头颅MRI发现10例脑萎缩。1例经尸检证实存在少突胶质细胞包涵体。结论 多系统萎缩是累及植物神经、锥体外系、小脑和皮质脊髓束,并具少突胶质细胞包涵体等特定神经病理表现的变性疾病。Gilman诊断标准具有较强的临床可操作性。     

An autopsy case of multiple system atrophy with many senile plaques

A 60 year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of gait disturbance and dizziness. At 57 years of age, he noticed his walking unstable. After then, he had dizziness due to orthostatic hypotension, urinary difficulty, loss of livid, and forgetfulness. Neurological examination revealed he had severe orthostatic hypotension, cerebellar ataxia, dysarthria, hyperreflexia of four limbs, myoclonus of right leg, and atonic bladder. His brain CT showed cerebellar atrophy. Thereafter he had recurrent syncopic attacks. His gait disturbance progressed steadily, so he became bedridden. In his terminal stage, his limbs showed rigidity. About 3 years later he died of pneumonia and sepsis. At autopsy brain weighted 1,230 g. Glossly the putamens was bilaterally shrunken, the color of the substantia nigra and locus ceruleus became pale. Base of the pons and the cerebellum were atrophic. Microscopical examination confirmed the degeneration of striato-nigral and olivo-ponto-cerebellar systems without Lewy body. In the spinal cord there was depletion of neuronal cells in the intermediolateral nuclei and Onufrowitz nuclei. In addition to the conventional neuropathological staining methods, we performed the immunohistochemical studies using monoclonal antibody against synthetic peptide of beta protein which detected senile plaque of every stages with formic acid pretreatment, and compared to the modified Bielschowsky method and Congo red method. Our case showed many very primitive and primitive senile plaque in neocortices and hippocampal region. A few neurofibrally tangle were seen in hippocampus. We supposed our case might combine multiple system atrophy and Alzheimer' pathology.     

Acute autonomic sensory and motor neuropathy associated with central nervous system disturbance.

We report a 45-year-old woman with acute autonomic sensory and motor neuropathy (AASMN) showing central nervous system (CNS) disturbance. She presented with disturbance of consciousness, complex partial seizures with automatisms, autonomic, sensory and motor neuropathy, showing severe orthostatic hypotension and neurogenic bladder. Nerve conduction studies and nerve biopsy indicated axonal degeneration involving both the myelinated and unmyelinated fibers. Muscle biopsy revealed neurogenic muscular atrophy. Electroencephalogram revealed theta wave activities and sharp wave abnormalities in the frontal lobe. Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy resulted in complete recovery of consciousness levels, but no obvious improvement of the other symptoms. Only eight patients with AASMN have been reported. This is the first report of AASMN showing CNS disturbance. Perivascular lymphocytic infiltration into the temporal lobe and brain stem was described in an autonomic neuropathy patient. An inflammatory pathogenesis of the CNS disturbance associated with this autonomic neuropathy was proposed.     

The Shy-Drager syndrome (author's transl)]

The most prominent symptom of Shy-Drager syndrome is the asympathicotonic orthostatic (postural) hypotension, which is associated with a number of additional autonomic and neurological disturbances: disorders of micturition, sphincter disturbances, impotence, anhidrosis, hypokinesia, rigidity, pyramidal symptoms, cerebellar dysfunction and nuclear pareses due to anterior horn cell degeneration. The various disorders are not caused by ischemia or hypotension, but they represent parts of a multisystemic disease of still unknown etiology. According to different extension and neuropathological criteria it has been suggested to distinguish two types of neurogenic (idiopathic) orthostatic hypotension. Moreover, differential diagnosis of the Shy-Drager syndrome has to consider postural hypotension occuring as a symptom in some neuropathies and Parkinson's disease. Symptomatology, course, prognosis and treatment of Shy-Drager syndrome are described, as well as relevant findings of apparative investigations, pharmacological and hemodynamic tests and neuropathological findings in autopsied cases reported in the literature. This review was initiated by two clinically investigated cases of Shy-Drager syndrome.     

Shy-Drager综合征16例临床分析

Shy-Drager综合征少见。本文报告16例临床资料。男12例，女4例，以47～60岁居多（14例）。都有典型的小脑症状（眼震、构音障碍和共济失调）、体位性低血压及排尿淋漓及男性阳萎植物神经功能障碍。部分尚有锥体外系和锥体束征。CT／MRI扫描显示小脑和脑干萎缩。本症缺乏有效的治疗方法，合理提高血压可预防体位性低血压晕厥。     

Urinary dysfunction and orthostatic hypotension in multiple system atrophy: which is the more common and earlier manifestation?

OBJECTIVES: Urinary dysfunction and orthostatic hypotension are the prominent autonomic features in multiple system atrophy (MSA). A detailed questionnaire was given and autonomic function tests were performed in 121 patients with MSA concerning both urinary and cardiovascular systems. METHODS: Replies to the questionnaire on autonomic symptoms were obtained from 121 patients including three clinical variants; olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) type in 48, striatonigral degeneration (SND) type in 17, and Shy-Drager type in 56. Urodynamic studies comprised measurement of postmicturition residuals, EMG cystometry, and bethanechol injection. Cardiovascular tests included head up tilt test, measurement of supine plasma noradrenaline (norepinephrine,NA), measurement of R-R variability (CV R-R), and intravenous infusions of NA and isoproterenol. RESULTS: Urinary symptoms (96%) were found to be more common than orthostatic symptoms (43%) (p<0.01) in patients with MSA, particularly with OPCA (p<0.01) and SND (p<0.01) types. In 53 patients with both urinary and orthostatic symptoms, patients who had urinary symptoms first (48%) were more common than those who had orthostatic symptoms first (29%), and there were patients who developed both symptoms simultaneously (23%). Post-micturition residuals were noted in 74% of the patients. EMG cystometry showed detrusor hyperreflexia in 56%, low compliance in 31%, atonic curve in 5%, detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia in 45%, and neurogenic sphincter EMG in 74%. The cystometric curve tended to change from hyperreflexia to low compliance, then atonic curve in repeated tests. Bethanechol injection showed denervation supersensitivity of the bladder in 19%. Cardiovascular tests showed orthostatic hypotension below -30 mm Hg in 41%, low CV R-R below 1.5 in 57%, supine plasma NA below 100 pg/ml in 28%, and denervation supersensitivity of the vessels (alpha in 73%; beta2 in 60%) and of the heart (beta1 in 62%). CONCLUSION: It is likely that urinary dysfunction is more common and often an earlier manifestation than orthostatic hypotension in patients with MSA, although subclinical cardiovascular abnormalities appear in the early stage of the disease. The responsible sites seem to be central and peripheral for both dysfunctions.     

Shy-Drager综合征12例临床分析

目的探讨Shy-Drager综合征的临床表现和影像学特点,以便早期诊断并改善患者预后。方法回顾性分析经临床诊断的12例Shy-Drager综合征患者的相关资料。结果Shy-Drager综合征患者临床以小便障碍、直立性低血压、性功能障碍、共济失调最常见。8例患者头颅磁共振检查结果示脑萎缩,主要为小脑和脑干萎缩。结论Shy-Drager综合征临床以自主神经功能障碍为主要表现,合并小脑症状发生率高,头颅磁共振可表现为小脑、脑干萎缩。     

The posterior crico-arytenoid muscle in two cases of shy-drager syndrome with laryngeal stridor

Summary The histological, histochemical and biometric findings in the posterior crico-arytenoid muscle in two patients with Shy-Drager syndrome were compared with those found in cases of carcinoma of the larynx. In biopsy specimens from the patients with laryngeal carcinoma, neurogenic atrophy and various structural changes in the muscle fibres were the prominent features. In the two patients with Shy-Drager syndrome these changes were not present and the only significant finding was the more pronounced type I fibre atrophy, with type II fibre predominance in the more severely affected case. These findings do not permit the vocal cord paralysis seen in the Shy-Drager syndrome to be explained by motorneuron loss and denervation. It is postulated that a possible cause may be a biochemical defect in the brain.     

Striato-nigral degeneration and Shy-Drager syndrome (idiopathic orthostatic hypotension).

The present paper reports on a case which evolved clinically with a Parkinson syndrome and attacks of orthostatic hypotension. Dystrophic lesions were found in the substrantia nigra, putamen and autonomic bulbo-medullary axis. This case demonstrates that striato-nigral degeneration of the Adams, van Bogaert and van der Eecken type and the Shy-Drager syndrome (orthostatic hypotension with neurologic syndrome) are part of the same pathiologic entity respesenting nervous multisystem degeneration developing in the presenium.     

The use of lisuride in the treatment of multiple system atrophy with autonomic failure (Shy-Drager syndrome).

In a controlled trial lisuride, an ergolene derivative with dopamine receptor agonist properties was given maximum tolerated doses (2.4 mg/day) to seven patients with multiple system atrophy with autonomic failure (Shy-Drager syndrome). Improvement in Parkinsonian features occurred in only one patient and another patient who had been deriving marked benefit from levodopa treatment before the study began failed to respond to large doses of lisuride. Psychiatric side effects (including nightmares, isolated visual hallucinations and toxic confusional states) were the dose-limiting factor in six patients. A modest reduction in orthostatic hypotension occurred in two patients, one of whom had experienced an aggravation of this disturbance on levodopa and bromocriptine. Destruction of post-synaptic dopamine receptors and damage to central noradrenergic systems may offer an explanation for the lack of therapeutic effect of lisuride.     

A-56-year-old woman with parkinsonism, whose mother had Parkinson's disease]

We report a 56-year-old woman with progressive gait disturbance. Her mother had Parkinson's disease with onset at age 70. She died at age 74 and the post-mortem examination confirmed the diagnosis of Lewy body positive Parkinson's disease. The patient was well until the age of 50(1995) when she noted an onset of resting tremor and difficulty of gait. She also developed delusional ideation and was admitted to a psychiatric service of another hospital, where a major tranquilizer was given. The delusion disappeared but she developed marked rigidity. The major tranquilizer was discontinued and an anticholinergic and amantadine HCl were given. She showed marked improvement to Hoehn and Yahr stage II and was discharged. In 1995, when she was 52 years of the age, she developed delusion again and a major tranquilizer was given. She developed marked parkinsonism again and became Hoehn and Yahr stage V. The major tranquilizer was discontinued and she was treated with levodopa/carbidopa, trihexyphenidyl, bromocriptine, and dops. She improved remarkably to stage II. She was admitted to our service on October 8, 1996 for drug adjustment. She was alert and not demented. She was anxious but delusion or hallucination was noted. Higher cerebral functions were intact. Cranial nerve functions were also intact except for masked face and small voice. Her posture was stooped and steps were small. She showed retropulsion and moderate bradykinesia. Resting tremor was noted in her left hand. Rigidity was noted in both legs. No cerebellar ataxia or weakness was noted. Deep tendon reflexes were within normal range and sensation was intact. Her cranial MRI revealed some atrophic changes in the putamen, in which a T 2-high signal linear lesion was seen along the lateral border of the putamen bilaterally. In addition, posterior part of the putamen showed T 2-low signal intensity change. She was treated with 1.6 mg of talipexole, 6 mg of trihexyphenidyl, and 100 mg of L-dops. She was in stage III of Hoehn and Yahr. She developed neurogenic bladder with a large amount of residual urine for which she required catheterization. She was transferred to another hospital. Despite drug adjustment, she lost response to levodopa and her parkinsonism deteriorated gradually. She also developed syncope orthostatic hypotension. In April of 1998, she developed intracerebral hemorrhage and was admitted again on April 19, 1998. She was unable to stand and showed marked akinesia and rigidity. She was in stage V of Hoehn and Yahr. Her cranial CT scan revealed bilateral high-density lesions in the posterior parietal lobes. She developed dysphagia for which she required gastrostomy. She was transferred to another hospital but her clinical condition deteriorated further. On December 22, 1999, she developed fever and dyspnea and was admitted to our service again. She developed cardial arrest at the emergency room from hypoxia. She was resuscitated; however, she was comatose with loss of brain stem reflexes. Later on she developed generalized myoclonus. She developed cardiac arrest and pronounced dead on December 28, 1999. The patient was discussed in a neurological CPC. The chief discussant arrived at the conclusion that the patient had striatonigral degeneration because of poor response to levodopa in the later course, autonomic failures, and MRI changes. Some other participants thought that the patient had a form of familial Parkinson's disease. Opinions were divided into these two possibilities. Post-mortem examination revealed that the substantia nigra showed intense neuronal loss and gliosis, however, no Lewy bodies were seen. In addition, intracytoplasmic inclusions were seen in oligodendrocytes. The putamen was markedly atrophic in its posterior part with marked gliosis and neuronal loss. The ventromedial part of the pontine nucleus also showed neuronal loss and intracytoplasmic glial inclusions. Pathologic diagnosis was multiple system atrophy. In the parietal lobe, an arteriovenous malformation with bleeding was noted. This is very unique case. Although her mother had Lewy body-positive Parkinson's disease, the patient had Lewy body-negative multiple system atrophy with a-synuclein-positive glial inclusions. Whether this is just a coincidental occurrence or the presence of a genetic load for Parkinson's disease might triggered her multiple system atrophy is an interesting question to be answered in future.     

A 57-year-old woman with progressive disturbance of gait and mental deterioration]

We report a 57-year-old woman with progressive gait disturbance and mental deterioration. She was well until March 1995, when she was 54 years of the age. At that time she noted a gradual onset of tremor and difficulty using her hand. Similar symptoms appeared in her right hands, and she visited another hospital, where 300 mg of levodopa and 7.5 mg of bromocriptine were prescribed. These medication did not help her symptoms. In the summer of 1996, she became to fall down easily. In September of the same year, she started to repeat the same words many times. She was unable to stop it. She was hospitalized to our service on January 25, 1997. On admission, she was alert but demented moderately; her Hasegawa dementia scale was 15/30. She showed palilallia, logoclonia, and echolalia. She showed constructional apraxia and questionable left-right disorientation. She had marked vertical gaze palsy with preserved oculocephalic response. She had masked face and small voice. Her gait was wide based with small steps. No muscle atrophy or weakness was noted. She showed only mild rigidity in the neck, but no rigidity was noted in the limb. No tremor was noted. She was bradykinetic. Deep tendon reflexes were symmetric and within normal limits. Laboratory findings on admission was unremarkable. MRI showed atrophy of the brain stem as well as cerebral cortical areas, particularly in the fronto-temporal region. Her hospital course was complicated with paralytic ileus and septicemia. She developed hypotension and pronounced dead on July 28, 1998. She was discussed in the neurological CPC. The chief discussant arrived at a conclusion that the patient had progressive supranuclear palsy and died of septic shock. All the participants wondered between PSP and CBD, but majority agreed with this diagnosis of the chief discussant. Only one thought that she might have had corticobasal degeneration rather than PSP, because of dementia, cortical atrophy in MRI, and lack of limb rigidity. Postmortem examination revealed cortical and brain stem atrophy. In the premotor cortex, marked astrocytosis and ballooned neurons were seen. Furthermore, astrocytic plaques were seen; this is considered to be pathognomonic for CBD. The substantia nigra showed marked neuronal loss and gliosis, but no neurofibrillary tangles or Lewy bodies were seen. Gliosis was also seen in the globus pallidus and in the medial thalamus. The pathologic diagnosis was corticobasal degeneration. This patient was very interesting case, in that the clinical manifestations appeared to be consistent with PSP, yet pathologic diagnosis was CBD. Lack of limb rigidity may be atypical for advanced PSP. In addition, palilalia appears to be more associated with CBD.     

An autopsy case of dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) clinically diagnosed as Huntington's chorea

An autopsy case of a 65-year-old female with dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is reported. Her mother had gait disturbance and died at the age of 63. Her mother's brother developed psychotic symptoms. A daughter of her older sister was observed to have involuntary movement when she admitted to a mental hospital due to post-delivery psychotic state. Her younger brother has developed gait disturbance from about 56-year-old. Her older son has suffered from schizophrenia for long years. Since 58-year-old, she developed cerebellar ataxic gait and three years later, choreic involuntary movement developed in her extremities and face and progressively became prominent. Since 63-year-old, abnormal behavior brought about by the visual hallucination was occasionally observed. At the age of 63, she admitted to a mental hospital because of persistent persecutive delusion for her husband and was clinically diagnosed as Huntington's chorea for her remarkable choreic movement and psychotic state with dementia. Hypertension was also noticed. At the age of 65, she died of acute pneumonia. The duration of her illness was about 6 years. Histopathological findings of the CNS: the brain weighed 1,014 g. Brainstem and spinal cord were noticed to be relatively small in size. The cerebral cortex was well preserved. The cerebral white matter was diffusely demyelinated in the central semiovale where arteriosclerotic change of the small vessels was remarkable. Significant pathological changes consisted of marked symmetrical atrophy of the following two systems, i. e., dentatofugal pallidoluysian systems.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Shy-Drager syndrome presenting as depression: case report

A case of Shy-Drager syndrome (proven at autopsy) initially presented as a depressive disorder. Shy-Drager syndrome should be added to the list of subcortical neurologic disorders which may initially present with an affective disturbance.     

Neurogenic orthostatic hypotension: pathophysiology, evaluation, and management

Neurogenic orthostatic hypotension is a distinctive and treatable sign of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction. It is caused by failure of noradrenergic neurotransmission that is associated with a range of primary or secondary autonomic disorders, including pure autonomic failure, Parkinson’s disease with autonomic failure, multiple system atrophy as well as diabetic and nondiabetic autonomic neuropathies. Neurogenic orthostatic hypotension is commonly accompanied by autonomic dysregulation involving other organ systems such as the bowel and the bladder. In the present review, we provide an overview of the clinical presentation, pathophysiology, epidemiology, evaluation and management of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension focusing on neurodegenerative disorders.     

Orthostatic hypotension and the Holmes-Adie syndrome: A study of two patients with afferent baroreceptor block

Two patients who presented with symptoms due to orthostatic hypotension were found on examination to have the Holmes-Adie syndrome. Physiological investigation suggested that they both had an afferent block from baroreceptors in contrast to the efferent autonomic block found in most other cases of idiopathic orthostatic hypotension, including the cases of multisystem disease, now often called the Shy-Drager syndrome.     

Paralytic ileus and atonic bladder in a case of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy--electrophysiological, chemical and pathological study with evidence of the peripheral nerve involvement

A 41-year-old female of mitochondrial myopathy characterized by recurrent paralytic ileus and atonic bladder with the evidence of peripheral nerve involvement was described. This patient was admitted to our hospital because of the episode of paralytic ileus and atonic bladder at the age of 40 and 41 (1987). She had noticed sporadic headache from 1967, constipation from 1977, tinnitus and hearing disturbance from 1984. One month after her second admission in 1987, her symptoms of paralytic ileus and atonic bladder gradually disappeared. She was then transferred to the department of neurology for the evaluation of underlining neurological disorders. Neurological examination revealed dementia, oro-lingual dyskinesia, and proximal muscular weakness. However, none of the following signs or symptoms were observed; Ophthalmoplegia, blepharoptosis, retinitis pigmentosa, myoclonus, cerebellar ataxia, sensory disturbance, and orthostatic hypotension. Deep tendon reflexes were normal. Planter responses were flexor. Pyruvate and lactate were elevated in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Brain CT scan displayed moderate cerebral atrophy and basal ganglia calcifications. EMG was normal except for the external anal sphincter muscles which showed a denervation pattern. Motor nerve conduction velocity was normal in the right median and the right peroneal nerves. Sensory nerve conduction velocity was also normal in the right median and the right sural nerves. However, the amplitude of sensory potential was low in both these nerves. Atonic type of neurogenic bladder was noted on cystometry. There was a lack of voiding desire. The number of active sweat glands iontophoretically stimulated by pilocarpine was reduced. The most prominent feature of the muscle biopsy (the left biceps brachii) was myopathic changes with ragged-red fibers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A family with DRPLA and chronic renal failure]

We reported a family with dentato-rubro-pallido-luysian atrophy (DRPLA) and chronic renal failure. The proband was a 66-year-old woman who developed gait disturbance, limb ataxia, pyramidal tract signs, and dementia since age 54. T2-weighted brain MR images revealed symmetric high-signal lesions in the cerebral white matter, in addition to cerebellar, brainstem, and cerebral cortical atrophy. She suffered from renal failure and became dialysis-dependent at the age of 59, four years after the onset of chronic nephritic syndrome. At the age of 66, she was admitted to our hospital because of hyperthermia and disturbance of consciousness, and died of DIC. Her CAG repeats in the DRPLA gene were 58 and 12. An autopsy was performed. The brain weighed 910 g. Histological findings confirmed the diagnosis of DRPLA. Her mother died of chronic renal failure. All three siblings had cerebellar ataxia, and two siblings had chronic nephritic syndrome. Among them, only her younger brother was diagnosed as non-IgA glomerulonephritis based on kidney biopsy findings at the age of 48. Though the nature of the association between DRPLA and renal dysfunction remains obscure, the DRPLA gene abnormality may be correlated with chronic renal failure in this family.