title: [Recurrent peripheral neuropathy caused by thallium poisoning].
abstract: A 28-years old woman, working as a secretary, developed a rapidly progressive paraplegia with burning pain in the lower limbs. She recovered within 4 months but relapsed shortly after she was discharged. There was flaccid tetraplegia, associated with hyperalgesia of the limbs, diffuse muscle atrophy, blindness and alopecia. The patient needed respiratory assistance for 2 months. Bilateral optic neuropathy and paraparesis persisted after a 17 months follow-up. The clinical picture suggested thallium poisoning, which was confirmed by high thallium concentration in plasma and urine. The most likely cause was accidental poisoning with rodenticides.
authors.affiliation: Clinique Neurologique, Montpellier.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Labauge
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pagès
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tourniaire
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Favier
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Blard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012008:Recurrence; D013793:Thallium / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D013793:Thallium
vernacular_title: Neuropathie périphérique récidivante par intoxication au thallium.