CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL FEATURES IN HYDROCARBON-INDUCED PARKINSONISM

Citation
G. Pezzoli et al., CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL FEATURES IN HYDROCARBON-INDUCED PARKINSONISM, Annals of neurology, 40(6), 1996, pp. 922-925
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Clinical Neurology",Neurosciences
Journal title
ISSN journal
03645134
Volume
40
Issue
6
Year of publication
1996
Pages
922 - 925
Database
ISI
SICI code
0364-5134(1996)40:6<922:CAPFIH>2.0.ZU;2-Y
Abstract
A neuropathological examination was performed on a patient with parkin sonism induced by prolonged exposure to a mixture of aliphatic hydroca rbons, mainly n-hexane and halogenated compounds. The patient develope d a rapid-course disease that progressed even after withdrawal from th e toxic exposure. Pathological examination and immunohistochemical ana lysis of the brain revealed severe and widespread dopaminergic neurona l loss, associated with severe gliosis, in the substantia nigra, and a lmost complete loss of tyrosine hydroxylase immunostaining in the stri atum. No Lewy bodies were detected. Neuronal loss was also observed in the periaqueductal gray matter, locus ceruleus, and pedunculopontine nucleus. These changes, combined with the moderate anemia due to marro w suppression, and the mild axonal neuropathy observed in vivo, are su ggestive of a hydrocarbon toxic insult.