Progressive neurological disease induced by tacrolimus in a renal transplant recipient: case presentation.
BACKGROUND
Tacrolimus and cyclosporine, both calcineurin inhibitors, can cause neurological side effects. While mild symptoms such as tremor are well recognised, severe complications including seizures and encephalopathy are poorly documented following renal transplantation.


METHODS
We report a 42 year old man who received a cadaver renal transplant. He received tacrolimus and prednisolone. The course was uneventful for 6 weeks when he became intermittently confused, with unsteady gait and slurred speech. Following a grand mal convulsion he was admitted. He had no focal neurological signs, cerebrospinal fluid was normal; electroencephalogram was consistent with temporal lobe partial epilepsy. The magnetic resonance imaging of brain showed widespread changes with multiple areas of low signal intensity in brain stem and cerebral hemispheres. He was readmitted 3 weeks later after further fits, despite anti-convulsant therapy. He was psychotic with visual hallucinations, and rapidly became obtunded. Although his tacrolimus blood concentration had been kept in the normal range, his symptoms improved dramatically when the tacrolimus was stopped.


CONCLUSIONS
Severe central nervous system toxicity from calcineurin inhibitors has been rarely reported in renal transplantation and we found only one report of tacrolimus-induced toxicity in an adult. We believe the condition is frequently undiagnosed. It is a very important diagnosis not to miss as the remedy is simple and failure may result in unnecessary brain biopsy, as well as irreversible injury.
Department of Nephrology, UCL Hospitals Trust, Middlesex Hospital, W1T 3AA, London. mchegoun@yahoo.com
Marjan
M
Chegounchi
Michael G
MG
Hanna
Guy H
GH
Neild
D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016559:Tacrolimus