title: Drug-induced spongiform leucoencephalopathy, a case report with review of the literature.
abstract: A nineteen year-old girl developed rhabdomyolysis and central pyrexia after the ingestion of multiple drugs: amphetamines, benzodiazepines, methadone, ethanol, and cocaine. On admission, the patient was deeply comatose and during the hospitalisation asymmetrical spastic quadriparesis was noted. Brain biopsy was diagnostic of spongiform leucoencephalopathy. A review of the literature concerning drug-induced spongiform encephalopathy revealed a large amount of heroin-induced cases. The role of cocaine, however, is less well described. After prolonged hospitalisation, our patient improved clinically and radiologically and could be transferred to a rehabilitation center.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Neurology, Stuivenberg General Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nuytten
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wyffels
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Michiels
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Verbraeken
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Daelemans
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baeck
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cras
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed