Acute pancreatitis in two patients with Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease represents one of the most common chronic neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly caused by a reduction of dopamine levels in the brain. The number of people with Parkinson’s disease is expected to grow mostly due to an increase in the aging population. Parkinsonian patients often require complicated dosing or titration schedules and often have multiple comorbidities that necessitate administration of therapies from multiple drug classes. Here we report two cases of parkinsonian patients who suffered acute pancreatitis. The first case presentation covers drug-induced acute pancreatitis in a patient receiving multiple medications, while the second case reveals the complexity of parkinsonian patient treatment in the clinical context of severe recurrent cholecystic acute pancreatitis. Conclusion: We can conclude that the management of Parkinson’s disease and coexistent health problems is extremely sensitive and requires a multidisciplinary team approach. It is therefore important to recognize and address the disease-specific challenges that may affect the optimal hospital care for patients with Parkinson’s disease.