Citation

Ivanovski T, Espino Ibañez AM, Barcelo Martin B, Gomila Muñiz I. BMJ Case Rep. 2019; 12(3): e2018228335.

Affiliation

Clinical Analysis, Hospital Son Llatzer, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bcr-2018-228335

PMID

30936344

Abstract

Heroin-related myelopathy is an uncommon but often devastating complication of heroin intake. It is usually reported in individuals exposed to intravenous heroin after a variable drug-free period, leading to acute and complete spinal cord injury with poor long-term outcome. We describe an original case of acute longitudinally extensive transverse myelopathy following single heroin and cocaine intravenous exposure after a long period of abstinence confirmed by toxicological hair and retrospective urine drug analysis. This case could provide new insights in the understanding of this rare neurological complication.

© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Language: en

Keywords

drug misuse (including addiction); neuroimaging; spinal cord