[Diffuse Lewy body disease]

I reviewed the clinical symptoms and neuropathologic findings of diffuse Lewy body disease (DLBD). The cardinal symptoms of DLBD are parkinsonian symptoms and dementia. Parkinsonian symptoms are similar to those of Parkinson's disease except for lower frequency and mild degree of tremor. Dementia becomes the initial symptom especially in elderly patients, and is composed of symptoms of cortical dementia. As neuropathologic findings, there are cortical Lewy bodies mainly observed in the temporal cortex, insular cortex, cingulate cortex, and amygdala with or without senile changes, besides brain stem findings as Parkinson's disease. For prompt diagnosis of DLBD, we should pay more attention to the clinical and neuropathologic symptoms and signs of this disease, which may be encountered more frequently in the future.