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BMJ Case Reports 2009; doi:10.1136/bcr.07.2008.0558
  • Learning from errors

Parkinson’s disease misdiagnosed as stroke

  1. Robert Caslake1,
  2. Kate S M Taylor2,
  3. Carl E Counsell1
  1. 1
    University of Aberdeen, Applied Health Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
  2. 2
    Institute of Neurological Sciences, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, G51 4TF, UK
  1. bob.caslake{at}abdn.ac.uk
  • Published 2 February 2009

Summary

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease, the clinical features of which are usually asymmetrical at presentation. This can lead to difficulty in differentiating it from other asymmetric neurological disorders. We present two cases where idiopathic PD was initially misdiagnosed as stroke, leading to a delay in appropriate symptomatic therapy. Physicians involved in diagnosis and treatment of people with strokes should consider PD when formulating their differential diagnosis.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None.

  • Patient consent: Patient/guardian consent was obtained for publication

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