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Huntington's disease is characterised by hyperkinetic movements, mainly chorea, cognitive dysfunction, and psychiatric abnormalities. Non-dopa responsive parkinsonism occurs in the later stages of choreic disease or as the predominant feature of juvenile patients (Westphal variant). Late onset Huntington's disease presenting as levodopa responsive parkinsonism is rare. A series of four patients with late onset Huntington's disease presenting as levodopa responsive parkinsonism and cardiovascular dysautonomia, initially misdiagnosed as multiple system atrophy (MSA) in three patients, is reported. Levodopa treatment did not unmask significant chorea. These cases suggest the presence of a distinct phenotypic variant of Huntington's disease to be added to the differential diagnosis of other akinetic rigid syndromes.

Original publication

DOI

10.1136/jnnp.68.2.238

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry

Publication Date

02/2000

Volume

68

Pages

238 - 241

Keywords

Aged, Antiparkinson Agents, Chorea, Diagnosis, Differential, Female, Humans, Huntington Disease, Levodopa, Male, Middle Aged, Parkinson Disease, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Treatment Outcome, Trinucleotide Repeats