[Cerebral multisystem atrophy in a patient with depressive hallucinatory syndrome. A case report]

In a female patient, aged 47 years at the beginning, the successive appearance of extrapyramidal signs preceded by depression, paranoid-hallucinatory psychosis, autonomic and cerebellar dysfunction was followed up over a period of 8 years. Autopsy revealed--in accordance with the clinical symptomatology--both olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy and a striatonigral degeneration. As a rule these changes are accompanied by dementia. The reported case is unusual in having first presented with severe depression and paranoid-hallucinatory symptoms.