Diagnostic pitfalls in young onset parkinsonism and its unique challenges: A case report from rural Nepal
Himal Bikram Bhattarai, Bibhusan Basnet, Madhur Bhattarai, Ayush Shrestha, Swotantra Gautam, Saral Lamichhane, Manish Uprety, Bidushi Pokhrel, Sanjit Kumar Sah, Jayant Yadav- General Medicine
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease resulting from the loss of dopamine-secreting neurons present in the substantia nigra of the brain. Parkinson’s disease is classified as early-onset and late-onset disease based on the time of its presentation. Since young patients with Parkinson’s disease have an atypical clinical presentation and have to deal with their careers, raising families, or both at the time of diagnosis and also have a higher risk of drug-related side effects, it poses unique challenges for the patient, clinical team, and community. We present the case of a 40-year-old female with young onset Parkinson’s disease from rural Nepal and the challenges faced during and after the disease in a resource-limited setting.