[Subcutaneous apomorphine infusion in the treatment of Parkinson disease]

Apomorphine, a dopamine-agonist was applied as s. c. infusions to 7 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The indications were longlasting akinetic episodes (4 patients) and therapeutically resistant invalidating motoric fluctuations ("on-off") as well as hyperkinesia (3 patients) on anti-Parkinson medication. The effect of apomorphine as an anti-Parkinson therapeutic was verified using clinical scales and a portable activity-monitoring device. The s. c. infusion therapy (20-90 mg/die, or 0.025-0.01 mg/kg/die respectively) was effective in the akinetic patients interrupting akinesia and the inability to swallow. An improvement was also registered in patients with "on-off" and hyperkinesia using longlasting subcutaneous apomorphine infusions. The therapy was continued over a longer period of time with 2 patients as outpatients. The side-effects were nausea and local subcutaneous indurations at sites of infusions.