INTRODUCTION:

Parkinsonism is a clinical syndrome characterized by tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia due to alteration in the basal-ganglia dopaminergic circuit, specifically at the nigrostriatal level. The following is a case of parkinsonism induced by telmisartan.

CASE PRESENTATION:

A 78-year-old man with a 2-year history of Parkinson's disease of controlled evolution with levodopa, pramipexole ER, amantadine was admitted to the emergency department due to worsening of parkinsonism in the two weeks prior to consultation. He had a history of cerebral infarction in the territory of the left posterior cerebral artery, chronic arterial hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. On neurological examination, he presented bradykinesia and severe stiffness in all four limbs with significant limitation of gait, associated with myoclonus. Infectious and metabolic alterations and acute lesions were ruled out in the brain tomography, so telmisartan was suspended, after which the symptoms improved.

DISCUSSION:

Drug-induced parkinsonism is the first cause of this syndrome, and the action they exert on dopaminergic receptors has been described in several pharmacological models. Telmisartan-induced parkinsonism is considered triggered by dopaminergic disruption secondary to angiotensin II receptor antagonism at the periaqueductal gray substance level.

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