Background:
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for essential tremor (ET) can cause unwanted side effects.
Case report:
A patient with ET underwent unilateral dual-lead thalamic DBS. He later developed parkinsonism with atypical features and was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy. During presentation for a second opinion, stimulation-induced side effects were suspected. Inactivation of DBS resolved atypical features and superimposed idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD) was diagnosed.
Discussion:
This case illustrates the importance of recognizing the possible influence of stimulation-induced side effects and discusses when to utilize dual-lead DBS for ET and the co-occurrence of ET and PD.