Background: Some metabolic disorders, including abnormal calcium metabolism, can develop and worsen parkinsonism. However, whether hyperparathyroidism can cause parkinsonism remains controversial.
Case presentation: An 83-year-old woman with a history of right thalamic hemorrhage and drug-induced parkinsonism, was admitted due to worsening of parkinsonian symptoms including mask-like face, bradykinesia, freezing of gait, and rigidity. She had been diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis and was being treated with prednisolone. Examinations revealed hypercalcemia (14.3 mg/dL) with an increased level of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) (361 pg/mL). Her symptoms were resistant to some additional anti-parkinsonian drugs; however, cinacalcet hydrochloride, a calcimimetic for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism, normalized levels of serum calcium and iPTH, and remarkably improved her symptoms.
Conclusions: In the present case, we speculate that hypercalcemia probably due to secondary hyperparathyroidism that had developed during steroid therapy deteriorated the parkinsonism.
Keywords: Cinacalcet; Hypercalcemia; Hyperparathyroidism; Parkinsonism.