[An autopsy case of olivocerebellar and thalamic degeneration, diffuse sclerosis and hypertrophic neuropathy: infantile system degeneration? (author's transl)].

The brain of a 21-year-old man with imbecility and spastic tetraplegia since early childhood showed a diffuse sclerosis of the cerebral white matter and symmetrical degeneration of the thalamus and olivocerebellar system. The spinal nerve roots as well as proximal branches of the spinal nerves were hypertrophic and there was seen a marked fibrosis with some onion-bulb formations of Schwann cells. In spite of a possible relation to an unknown infection at the age of 3 months this case could preferably be regarded as a peculiar form of the combined system degeneration in the early childhood, including the cerebral white matter and peripheral nerves. An uncle of the patient had died of a similar nervous disease at the age of 20 years.