Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Brief Clinical Note

Low dose pergolide induced systemic edema and pleural effusion in a patient with parkinson's disease

Norio Chihara, M.D., Mikito Hayakawa, M.D., Madoka Yoshimura, M.D., Yasushi Shiio, M.D. and Hirofumi Nakase, M.D.

Department of Neurology, Toranomon Hospital

A 77-year-old woman was admitted to our department due to leg edema of 2-year duration. The patient has been suffered from Parkinson's disease for 12 years and prescribed levodopa, selegiline, and small dosage of pergolide (200 μg/day). Leg edema developed one year after she took pergolide. Bilateral peripheral effusion was shown without any findings for malignancy, infection, and heart failure. After discontinuation of pergolide, both pleural effusion and systemic edema were solved. Pergolide was reported to cause cardiac valve fibrosis, pleural effusion and fibrosis, and peritoneal fibrosis. This case suggests that low dose pergolide (200 μg/day: cumulative dose is about 200 mg) could cause severe pleural effusion and systemic edema.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (302K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 48: 143|145, 2008)
key words: Parkinson's disease, Pergolide, pleural effusion, fibrosis

(Received: 19-Jul-07)