Autonomic neurons of the sacral spinal cord in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, anterior poliomyelitis and "neuronal intranuclear hyaline inclusion disease": distribution of sacral autonomic neurons.

Further evidence is presented that the Onuf's nucleus (or "colonne en torsade" of Laruelle) and the intermediolateral nucleus of the sacral cord share common selective vulnerability with the thoracolumbar intermediolateral nucleus in ALS, anterior poliomyelitis and "neuronal intranuclear hyaline inclusion disease". Sparing of the sacral nuclei in the motor neuron diseases and neuronal loss of the nuclei in the multisystem atrophy are correlated well with normal and disturbed vesicorectal function. The clinicopathological evidence strongly supports the view that the Onuf's nucleus represents autonomic neurons much as the intermediolateral nucleus.