Caring for someone with this diagnosis? Eleplan keeps diagnoses, medications, documents and every specialist in one plan.
Start free with EleplanMultiple system atrophy
ORPHA:102Disease
Also called MSA · Multisystem atrophy
What it is
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by autonomic failure (cardiovascular and/or urinary), parkinsonism, cerebellar impairment and corticospinal signs with a median survival of 6-9 years.
Key facts
- Prevalence
- 1-9 / 100 000
- Age of onset
- Adult
- Inheritance
- Multigenic/multifactorial, Not applicable
- Classified as
- Disease
Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.
Signs and symptoms
Common30–79%
27- Abnormal autonomic nervous system physiologyDiagnostic criterion
- Abnormal brain FDG positron emission tomography
- Abnormal pyramidal signDiagnostic criterion
- Abnormal rapid eye movement sleep
- Autonomic bladder dysfunctionDiagnostic criterion
- Autonomic erectile dysfunction
- Axial dystonia
- Bradykinesia
- Camptocormia
- Central sleep apnea
- Constipation
- Dysarthria
- Female anorgasmia
- Frequent falls
- Gait ataxia
- Gaze-evoked nystagmus
- Orofacial dyskinesia
- Orthostatic hypotension due to autonomic dysfunctionDiagnostic criterion
- Orthostatic syncope
- ParkinsonismDiagnostic criterion
- Postural instability
- Postural tremor
- Progressive cerebellar ataxiaDiagnostic criterion
- Raynaud phenomenon
- Resting tremor
- Rigidity
- StridorDiagnostic criterion
These ranges are how often a sign appears across everyone diagnosed, not a prediction for one person — most people have some of these and not others. Orphanet also records findings that are specifically absent in this disease; those are in the data but not listed here.
Genes reported in subtypes
Orphanet records this gene on 2 more specific entries under this disorder, not on this entry itself:
A well-studied disease is usually split into subtypes, and the gene is curated on whichever one the evidence belongs to. Open a subtype to see which gene goes with it.
ICD-10 codes
ICD-10 has no distinct code for most rare diseases, so many are filed under the nearest available one. A shared code identifies the group, not this disease — the ORPHAcode above is what identifies it.
Related health topics
Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.
Cross-references
Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999. Data version 2026-06-23. Available under CC BY 4.0. This is a reference, not medical advice.
Powered by Eleplan
A rare diagnosis is just the start. Eleplan keeps the whole care plan in one place.
Diagnoses, medications, documents, appointments, and the whole care team — organized and always in sync, so you are not retelling the same story to every new specialist. With Ellie, your AI care assistant, on top of it. Free to start.