Clinical series of Parkinson's disease in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Retrospective chart review.

BACKGROUND:There is limited data on Parkinson's disease (PD) in South Africa. METHODS:Demographic and clinical information was extracted from the hospital records of patients who were coded as PD (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, G20) from 2002 to 2016.PD was diagnosed using the United Kingdom Parkinson's Disease Society Brain Bank Clinical Diagnostic Criteria (UKBBC). RESULTS:414 patients met the criteria, 194 Indian, 130 Black, 16 Mixed Ancestry and 74 White patients. Median age at onset was 60 years, 53% were male and 20% had early onset PD (EOPD). There were no differences between the ethnic groups for the male: female ratio, age at onset, frequency of EOPD, family history, clinical phenotype and disease severity. Dyskinesia and neuropsychiatric symptoms were more frequent in Indian and White patients (p < 0.001). PD referral centre prevalence was 23/1000 neurological cases for the period 2002-2016. Referral centre prevalence of PD was 2.8 times higher in White compared to Black patients. Our study demonstrates an increase in referral centre prevalence of PD since the last clinical series in 1988 and an age related increase in prevalence. CONCLUSIONS:PD prevalence is increasing. The clinical profile of PD in Black patients is similar to the other ethnic groups. This study highlights the need for health care resource allocation to neurodegenerative disorders in an ageing African continent.