PARKINSONISM WITH ALKAPTONURIA - COINCIDENTALLY ASSOCIATION OR STRIATONIGRAL OCHRONOSIS

We report the case of a 64 year old woman treated for 10 years by DOPA for Parkinson's disease and displaying brown wine. Homogentisic acid was found in urine establishing the diagnosis of alkaptomuria. Clinica l and radiological studies demonstrated ochronosis and ochronotic arth ropathy, blue pigmentation of ear cartilage and calcification of the i ntervertebral lumbar disc giving the classical <<inverted spine>>. Int errelation between this metabolic abnormality and Parkinson's disease is discussed. The recent cloning and mapping of the hu,nan gene for al kaptonuria to chromosome 3q should bring some clarification among rela tionships between these two diseases.