[A case of multiple system atrophy treated with erythropoietin]

The patient, a women aged 52, with a three-year history of treatment for arterial hypotension, was admitted to hospital because of progressing worsening of symptoms. The whole clinical syndrome made possible the recognition of multiple system atrophy as the cause of her symptoms. In view of failures in previous treatment it was decided to give her erythropoietin injections for four weeks. The treatment led to improvement of her status. The authors discuss the probable action mechanism of erythropoietin in this case.