title: Pericardial, retroperitoneal, and pleural fibrosis induced by pergolide.
abstract: Three patients with Parkinson's disease are described who developed pericardial, retroperitoneal, and pleural fibrosis associated with pergolide treatment. Surgical intervention was required in all three cases, either to reach a tissue diagnosis or for potentially life threatening complications. Symptoms emerged on average 2 years after the institution of treatment, and were sufficiently non-specific to cause significant delays in diagnosis in all cases. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was raised in the two patients in whom it was measured. Serosal fibrosis is a rarely reported adverse effect of pergolide treatment, although it is well described with other dopamine agonists. We suggest that patients with Parkinson's disease who receive pergolide treatment should be regularly monitored for the development of such complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaunak
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilkins
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Pilling
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Dick
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D010479:Pergolide / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology*; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology*; D012185:Retroperitoneal Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D010479:Pergolide