Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Skin function and skin disorders in Parkinson’s disease

  • Published:
Journal of Neural Transmission Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Cutaneous symptoms (seborrhoea and hyperhidrosis) in Parkinson’s disease were investigated. In 70 treated patients with Parkinson’s disease and 22 control subjects, non-invasive bioengineering methods (sebumetry, corneometry, pH) were carried out on the forehead, sternum and forearm. In addition, concomitant dermatoses and medication were recorded. 18.6% of the patients had seborrhoea on the forehead (τ220µg/cm2), 51.4% showed normal sebum values (100–220 µg/cm2) and 30% a sebostasis (<100µg/cm2). Males has significantly higher sebum values than females. No relationship between the seborrhoea and the therapy for Morbus Parkinson was found. Patients with hyperhidrosis (n=36) had significantly lower pH values (p<0.05) on the forehead than those without hyperhidrosis. 22 patients (31.9%) reported a cold/hot flush and a further 13 (18.8%) had clinical rosacea. Seborrhoea is rare in treated Parkinsonian patients but hyperhidrosis is frequently found. Furthermore, a particular lack of vasostability (flush) appears to be an autonomie dysregulation in the skin related to Morbus Parkinson, which has not been studied to any extent to date.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baas H, Fischer PA (1984) Salbengesicht. Zentrale Dysregulation der Talgsekretion beim Parkinson-Syndrom. In: Fischer PA (Hrsg) Vegetativstörungen beim Parkinson-Syndrom. Editiones Roche, Basel, pp 221–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Barel AO, Clarys P (1995) Measuring of epidermal capacitance. In: Serup J, Jemec GB (eds) Handbook of non-invasive methods and the skin. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 165–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Burton JL, Shuster S (1970) Effect of L-dopa on seborrhoea of Parkinsonism. Lancet ii: 19–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burton JL, Cartlidge M, Cartlidge NEF, Shuster S (1973) Sebum excretion in Parkinsonism. Br J Dermatol 88: 263–266

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cohn T (1920) Encephalitis ohne Lethargie während der Grippeepidemie. Zentr Bl Neurol 38: 260–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Cotterill JA, Cunliffe WJ, Williamson B (1971) Sebum-excretion rate and skin-surface lipid composition in Parkinson’s disease before and during therapy with levodopa. Lancet i: 1271–1272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dikstein S, Zlotogorski A (1994) Measurement of skin pH. Acta Derm Venereol [Suppl] 185: 18–20

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Diepgen TL, Fartasch M, Hornstein OP (1991) Kriterien zur Beurteilung der atopischen Hautdiathese. Dermatosen 39: 79–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Freedman RR, Woodward S, Sabharwal SC (1990) Alpha 2-adrenergic mechanism in menopausal hot flushes. Obstet Gynecol 76: 573–578

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez-Mancilla B, Boucher R, Bedard PJ (1991) Effect of clonidine and atropine on rest tremor in the MPTP monkey model of parkinsonism. Clin Neuropharmacol 14: 359–366

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kohn SR, Pochi PE, Strauss JS, Sax DS, Feldman RG, Timberlake WH (1973) Sebaceous gland secretion in Parkinson’s disease during L-dopa treatment. J Invest Dermatol 60: 134–136

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kolev OI, Pedersson S, Nilsson G, Tibbling L (1997) Cold caloric microcirculatory reflex disturbance in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Clin Auton Res 7: 81–83

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Levell MJ, Cawood ML, Burke B, Cunliffe WJ (1989) Acne is not associated with abnormal plasma androgens. Br J Dermatol 120: 649–954

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mano Y, Nakamuro T, Takayanagi T, Mayer RF (1994) Sweat function in Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol 241: 573–576

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martignoni E, Godi E, Pacchetti C, Berardesca E, Vignoli GP, Albani G, Mancini F, Nappi G (1997) Is seborrhea a sign of autonomie impairment in Parkinson’s disease? J Neural Transm 104: 1295–1304

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pochi PE, Strauss JS, Mescon H (1962) Sebum production and fractional 17-ketosteroid excretion in Parkinsonism. J Invest Dermatol 38: 45–51

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Poewe W, Gerstenbrand E (1986) Klinische Subtypen der Parkinson-Krankheit. Wien Med Wochenschr 136: 384–387

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Villares JCB, Carlini EA (1989) Sebum secretion in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease: effect of anticholinergic and dopaminergic drugs. Acta Neurol Scand 80: 57–63

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walton S, Cunliffe WJ, Keezkes K, Early AS, McGarrigle HH, Katz M, Hull UK (1995) Clinical, ultrasound and hormonal markers of androgenicity in acne vulgaris. Br J Dermatol 133: 249–253

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wintzen M, Gilchrest BA (1996) Proopiomelanocortin, its derived peptides, and the skin. J Invest Dermatol 106: 3–10

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fischer, M., Gemende, I., Marsch, W.C. et al. Skin function and skin disorders in Parkinson’s disease. J Neural Transm 108, 205–213 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s007020170088

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s007020170088

Keywords

Navigation