rss
BMJ Case Reports 2009; doi:10.1136/bcr.07.2008.0446
  • Findings that shed new light on the possible pathogenesis of a disease or an adverse effect

Multiple mononeuropathy following cocaine abuse

  1. Sándor Beniczky1,
  2. Peer Tfelt-Hansen2,
  3. Martin Fabricius3,
  4. Kjeld V Andersen3
  1. 1
    Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Danish Epilepsy Canter, Visbys Allé 5, 4293 Dianalund
  2. 2
    Glostrup Hospital, Department of Neurology, Nordre Ringvej, Glostrup, 2600, Denmark
  3. 3
    Glostrup Hospital, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Nordre Ringvej, Glostrup, 2600, Denmark
  1. Kjeld Andersen, kva{at}dadlnet.dk
  • Published 28 April 2009

Summary

A 31-year-old man with acute-onset of left-sided weakness following the sniffing of cocaine was admitted with rhabdomyolysis. Neurophysiological studies showed axonal degeneration in 4/10 sensory and 3/8 motor nerves, and conduction block outside the typical compression-sites in 3/8 motor nerves. The findings are consistent with a diagnosis of multiple mononeuropathy. Ischaemia due to vasoconstriction is currently believed to be the cause of muscle necrosis following cocaine abuse and we hypothesise that it also explains the neuropathy in this case.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: none.

  • Patient consent: Patient/guardian consent was obtained for publication.

This Article

  1. Summary
  2. Full text

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Register for free content

The full text of all Editor's Choice articles and summaries of every article are free without registration

The full text of Images in ... articles are free to registered users

Only fellows can access the full text of case reports (apart from Editor's Choice) - become a fellow today, or encourage your institution to, so that together we can grow and develop this resource

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the case reports as they are published, and let us know what you think by commenting on the Editor's blog