[Multiple system atrophy--a neurodegenerative disease entity].

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a nosological entity. Main clinical manifestations are parkinsonism, pyramidal signs, cerebellar signs and autonomic dysfunction. Postmortem studies of patients who while alive were diagnosed as having idiopathic Parkinson's disease show approximately 8% as having MSA at autopsy. Specific pathological findings are glial cytoplasmatic inclusions. It seems likely that patients with MSA are misdiagnosed or underrecognized. This review is an attempt to elucidate upon clinical and paraclinical approaches to MSA and to depict relevant research in this field. The aetiology is unknown.