Postural hypotension in idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Etiopathology.

Postural changes in blood pressure were recorded in all 391 patients suffering from Parkinson's syndrome over a period of six years. Intraarterial blood pressure studies were carried out in those with significant postural hypotension. Histological examination of the entire central nervous system and the sympathetic ganglia was performed in six patients suffering from idiopathic Parksinson's disease. Five of the six patients had Lewy bodies in the sympathetic ganglia. Loss of nerve cells was noted in the sympathetic ganglia in those patients that demonstrated postural hypotension. The severity of the lesions in the ganglia correlated with the severity of postural hypotension in idiopathic Parkinson's disease, One case of Shy-Drager syndrome was similarly studied to demonstrate the differences in spinal cord and sympathetic ganglia lesions in the two conditions.