Late onset levodopa responsive Huntington's disease with minimal chorea masquerading as Parkinson plus syndrome

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2000 Feb;68(2):238-41. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.68.2.238.

Abstract

Huntington's disease is characterised by hyperkinetic movements, mainly chorea, cognitive dysfunction, and psychiatric abnormalities. Non-dopa responsive parkinsonism occurs in the later stages of choreic disease or as the predominant feature of juvenile patients (Westphal variant). Late onset Huntington's disease presenting as levodopa responsive parkinsonism is rare. A series of four patients with late onset Huntington's disease presenting as levodopa responsive parkinsonism and cardiovascular dysautonomia, initially misdiagnosed as multiple system atrophy (MSA) in three patients, is reported. Levodopa treatment did not unmask significant chorea. These cases suggest the presence of a distinct phenotypic variant of Huntington's disease to be added to the differential diagnosis of other akinetic rigid syndromes.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antiparkinson Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Chorea / diagnosis*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Huntington Disease / diagnosis*
  • Huntington Disease / drug therapy*
  • Huntington Disease / genetics
  • Levodopa / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parkinson Disease / diagnosis*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Trinucleotide Repeats

Substances

  • Antiparkinson Agents
  • Levodopa