Acquired Parkinson's Disease in Alcoholic Cirrhosis: The Rarest Association

Cureus. 2023 Feb 14;15(2):e34968. doi: 10.7759/cureus.34968. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Abstract

Hepatic encephalopathy is the most common neurologic complication of liver cirrhosis, whereas acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD) is an underappreciated neurologic manifestation. Parkinsonism, ataxia, and neuropsychiatric symptoms are its defining characteristics. In individuals with chronic parenchymal liver disease with portosystemic shunting, it is an underrecognized etiology of psychomotor retardation. It has been hypothesized that the etiology of AHD is due to manganese buildup in the basal ganglia. This case report details a hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD) case in a patient with chronic parenchymal liver disease who improved after taking a dopamine agonist.

Keywords: acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (ahd); chronic liver disease (cld); dopamine agonist; manganese; parkinsonism.

Publication types

  • Case Reports