Parkinsonism in motor neuron disease: case report and literature review

This report describes a patient who had clinical features of both motor neuron disease and Parkinson's disease. Neuropathological examination and immunocytochemical studies showed that he had motor neuron disease of the progressive muscular atrophy type, and Lewy body Parkinson's disease, with intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies characteristic of both conditions. This is the first detailed description of these two diseases occurring concurrently in the same patient. A review of all previously reported cases of combined motor neuron disease and parkinsonism has led to the following conclusions: (1) that these two neuropathologically defined diseases occur together very infrequently, but (2) that parkinsonism and substantia nigra degeneration are not uncommon as part of the multi-system disease process underlying motor neuron disease.