Peripheral Lewy body pathology in Parkinson's disease and incidental Lewy body disease: Four cases

The accumulation of Lewy pathology (LP) within autonomic nervous system tissues has received increased attention recently as a possible induction site for Lewy neurodegeneration and a possible source of biopsy material for biomarkers of early Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we describe LP accumulation within various tissues involving peripheral autonomic nervous system neurons in three PD cases and one case of incidental Lewy body disease. Findings highlight the value of examining pathology within functional neuroanatomical systems and particularly the importance of Lewy neurites (LNs) in the pathophysiology of PD.