Background: A 61-year-old woman with Parkinson's disease, receiving pergolide 1.75 mg four times daily, was admitted with progressive dyspnea.
Methods: Investigations revealed mitral and aortic regurgitation. She underwent surgical mitral replacement and aortic repair, but had a post-operative course characterized by repeated bouts of congestive heart failure.
Results: Severe tricuspid valve (TV) regurgitation developed within one month after the TV was reported on echocardiography to be relatively normal. Subsequent discontinuation of pergolide was associated with symptomatic improvement.
Conclusions: This case illustrates the severity and rapidity with which cardiac valvular abnormalities can develop in patients receiving pergolide.