The diagnosis of Parkinson disease is primarily clinical; a definitive postmortem finding confirms it by identifying which pathology?

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Multiple Choice

The diagnosis of Parkinson disease is primarily clinical; a definitive postmortem finding confirms it by identifying which pathology?

A defining postmortem finding in classic Parkinson disease is Lewy bodies—eosinophilic intracellular inclusions largely made of misfolded alpha-synuclein found in pigmented neurons of the substantia nigra. Their presence reflects degeneration of the nigrostriatal pathway, which explains the hallmark motor symptoms like bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor. The other listed pathologies point to different diseases: neurofibrillary tangles and beta-amyloid plaques are associated with Alzheimer's disease, and demyelination is a feature of multiple sclerosis. Therefore, Lewy bodies are the pathology that confirms Parkinson disease on postmortem examination.

A defining postmortem finding in classic Parkinson disease is Lewy bodies—eosinophilic intracellular inclusions largely made of misfolded alpha-synuclein found in pigmented neurons of the substantia nigra. Their presence reflects degeneration of the nigrostriatal pathway, which explains the hallmark motor symptoms like bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor. The other listed pathologies point to different diseases: neurofibrillary tangles and beta-amyloid plaques are associated with Alzheimer's disease, and demyelination is a feature of multiple sclerosis. Therefore, Lewy bodies are the pathology that confirms Parkinson disease on postmortem examination.

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