Occupational Mn parkinsonism: magnetic resonance imaging and clinical patterns following CaNa2-EDTA chelation.

We report a case of occupational parkinsonism due to manganese exposure in which professional exposure has been documented both by the high blood and urinary levels of the metal and by its presence in the materials used. A strong relation was evident among chelating treatment, cessation of exposure and clinical improvement. MRI confirmed the evolution of clinical pattern by means of reduction of heavy metal deposition in basal ganglia. These findings also agree with the few experimental and human studies published. This case study points to the need for an accurate occupational history collection and suggests the possibility of useful chelating therapy with CaNa2EDTA.