title: [Residual cerebellar ataxia following acute phenytoin intoxication].
abstract: A 30-year-old man was given high doses of phenytoin together with 4 antituberculous drugs for a seizure associated with a probable brain tuberculoma. He developed hepatic toxicity and his serum phenytoin reached the high level of 298 mumol/l (therapeutic range 40-79 mumol/l). All drugs were stopped and the biological parameters returned progressively to normal over the next 15 days. However, he remained with a cerebellar axial syndrome and was still severely ataxic 2 months later. Brain CT and MRI showed mild cerebellar atrophy. This case and the few other published ones, together with some recent experimental data, show that high doses of phenytoin can be toxic to the cerebellar cortical cells. The rarity of similar cases, while millions of epileptics are under phenytoin treatment, would however suggest that individual susceptibility may play a role in this toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurologie, King Fahd National Guard Hospital, Riyad, Arabie Saoudite.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Awada
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amene
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: al Jumah
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: al Beladi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014375:Tuberculoma / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010672:Phenytoin
vernacular_title: Ataxie cérébelleuse résiduelle après intoxication aiguë par la diphénylhydantoïne.