BMJ 1995;310:1668 (24 June)

Letters

Diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease

Anosmia is a common finding

EDITOR,--Niall Quinn's review on the recognition and differential diagnosis of parkinsonism1 omits an important point--namely, that at least 70% of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease have a defective or absent sense of smell.2 3 About 90% of patients have rigidity and akinesia, and hence impairment of the sense of smell would be the second commonest feature of this condition, at least equalling tremor in its frequency of occurrence. About half of patients are aware of this defect, and it is suspected, although not yet proved, that anosmia may precede the onset of the motor aspects of idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

This observation has important clinical consequences. If one suspects a patient to have idiopathic Parkinson's disease and the result of a simple bedside test of olfaction is normal then the diagnosis should be questioned. In progressive supranuclear palsy (Steele-Richardson syndrome), which may simulate idiopathic Parkinson's disease, olfaction . . . [Full text of this article]


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to StumbleUpon StumbleUpon   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Fortnightly Review: Parkinsonism--recognition and differential diagnosis
Niall Quinn
BMJ 1995 310: 447-452. [Abstract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Davie, C. A. (2008). A review of Parkinson's disease. Br Med Bull 86: 109-127 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Double, K. L., Rowe, D. B., Hayes, M., Chan, D. K. Y., Blackie, J., Corbett, A., Joffe, R., Fung, V. S., Morris, J., Halliday, G. M. (2003). Identifying the Pattern of Olfactory Deficits in Parkinson Disease Using the Brief Smell Identification Test. Arch Neurol 60: 545-549 [Abstract] [Full text]  
Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ