Dermatological Manifestations in Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Single-Arm Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Rates
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Keywords
parkinson's disease, dermatological, meta-analysis
Abstract
Introduction: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with both motor and non-motor symptoms, including dermatological manifestations that may serve as clinical markers of disease. This study evaluates the prevalence of dermatological manifestations in PD through pooled data, providing refined estimates and insights for clinical practice and future research.
Methods: This review followed PRISMA 2020 and was registered in PROSPERO. PubMed, ProQuest, and EBSCO were searched. Observational studies reporting dermatological prevalence in PD were included. A single-arm meta-analysis was performed with random-effects modeling to estimate pooled prevalence.
Results: A total of 22 studies evaluating dermatological manifestations in PD were analyzed. The combined prevalence rates were as follows: melanoma at 1% (95% CI: 1–2%), non-melanoma skin cancer at 6% (95% CI: 2–10%), actinic keratosis 18% (95% CI: 2–34%), seborrheic dermatitis 23% (95% CI: 7–40%), erythema intertrigo 23% (95% CI: 8–38%), rosacea 15% (95% CI: 4–25%), tinea 17% (95% CI: 0–40%), xerosis 54% (95% CI: 38–71%), hyperhidrosis 37% (95% CI: 18–56%). There was significant variability across most results. Among skin cancers, non-melanoma types, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, were the most common. Several skin conditions appear before motor symptoms, suggesting their potential role as early indicators of PD.
Conclusion: Dermatological manifestations are frequent in PD, with xerosis and hyperhidrosis are the most common. These conditions may represent prodromal markers, supporting the role of routine dermatological assessment in PD and underscoring the need for standardized research to clarify their diagnostic and prognostic value.
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