Occupational Mn parkinsonism: Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical patterns following CaNa2 -EDTA chelation

We report a case of occupational parkinsonism due to manganese exposure in which professional exposure has been documented both by the high blood and urinary levels of the metal and by its presence in the materials used. A st rong relation was evident among chelating treatment, cessation of exposure and clinical improvement. MRI confirmed the! evolution of clinical pattern by means of reduction of heavy metal deposition in basal ganglia. These fin dings also agree with the few experimental and human studies published. Thi s case study points to the need for an accurate occupational history collec tion and suggests the possibility of useful chelating therapy with CaNa(2)E DTA. (C) 2000 Inter Press, Inc.