A Case of Parinaud Syndrome in a Patient with Parkinson's Disease: Causal Association or Co-incidental?

BACKGROUND

Parinaud syndrome is a dorsal mid-brain syndrome characterized by upgaze paralysis, convergence retraction nystagmus, and pupillary light-near dissociation. Infarctions or hemorrhages involving the mid-brain are the most frequent causes in older adults.

OBJECTIVE

To report a novel case of a patient who presented with classical parkinsonian signs and Parinaud syndrome.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Patient data were obtained from medical records from the Department of General Medicine, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.

RESULTS

A 62-year-old previously healthy man presented with motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) for the past 6 years. The neurological examination revealed an asymmetric resting tremor of the upper limbs with rigidity, bradykinesia, hypophonia, hypomimia, decreased blinking, and micrographia. The neuro-ophthalmological examination showed Parinaud syndrome. He was treated with levodopa-carbidopa and trihexyphenidyl. After 6 months and 1 year of follow-up, his neurological condition was re-assessed; motor symptoms improved substantially, but Parinaud syndrome persisted.

CONCLUSIONS

Parinaud syndrome can be a potential manifestation of PD. A detailed neuro-ophthamological examination should be carried out even in patients having a diagnosis of classic PD in whom eye-movement abnormalities are distinctly infrequent.