Pleuropulmonary Toxicity of Another Anti-Parkinson’s Drug: Cabergoline

Abstract

Many drugs may cause toxic injury to the lungs and the pleura. Cabergoline is an ergoline derivative which has been used in Spain for seven years to control symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. We report a patient with dyspnea, bilateral pleural effusion and distal swelling. After a series of complementary tests (blood analysis, chest CT, echocardiogram, pleural tap, pleural biopsy), etiological screening ruled out infection, malignancy or inflammation. Given the patient’s history of three years’ treatment with cabergoline, the drug was considered a possible cause and was progressively withdrawn. The patient’s clinical condition improved and radiological images were disease-free. Using Karch and Lasagna’s classical criteria, we defined a relationship of “probable causality” between the drug and the adverse effects reported.