Journal of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders

Murat Gültekin, Mehmet Fatih Göl, Recep Baydemir, Meral Mirza

Erciyes Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Nöroloji Anabilim Dalı, Kayseri, Türkiye

Keywords: Manganese; parkinsonism; welder.

Abstract

Excessive and prolonged inhalation of manganese particulates in welding results in manganese accumulation in basal ganglia regions that causes central parkinsonism. In this article, we
resent a 37-year-old male patient who worked as a welder for 20 years and had parkinsonism symptoms. Patient had complaints of bradykinesia and slowness in mental functions since 2015. While working, patient was using protective goggles but not protective mask. In examination, bilateral rigidity on arm and bradykinesia on gait were detected. The mini-mental state
examination score was 26/30. On magnetic resonance imaging, hyperintense signal increases were observed in the bilateral globus pallidus. It is important to develop workplace regulations and to educate individuals on the strategies to minimize and/or avoid overexposure to manganese.