Severe ataxia caused by amiodarone.
Neurologic toxicity is an infrequently reported and under-recognized consequence of amiodarone, symptoms of which may include tremor, peripheral sensorimotor neuropathy, proximal weakness, and ataxia. The investigators report the rapid and complete remission of 4 months of progressively debilitating ataxia with the discontinuation of small-dose amiodarone in an elderly woman with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Despite the long half-life of amiodarone, her symptoms began to reduce after several days, and she was walking without assistance within 1 week. Wider recognition of this syndrome may avoid unnecessary and lengthy diagnostic evaluation and promote earlier neurologic recovery.
Krauser
Daniel G
DG
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University and the Cornell Campus of The New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA.
Segal
Alan Z
AZ
Kligfield
Paul
P
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001259:Ataxia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone