Krokodil-Associated Cutaneous Ulceration, Cardiac Arrhythmia and Thrombi

Hussain Hussain; Sohair Angly; George Michel; Efrain Garcia; Aya Fadel

doi:10.12890/2023_004181

Krokodil-Associated Cutaneous Ulceration, Cardiac Arrhythmia and Thrombi

Eur J Case Rep Intern Med. 2023 Nov 17;10(12):004181. doi: 10.12890/2023_004181. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Hussain Hussain¹, Sohair Angly¹, George Michel¹, Efrain Garcia¹, Aya Fadel²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine - Infectious Disease, Larkin Community Hospital, South Miami, USA.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center, Brick Township, USA.

Abstract

Krokodil, the street name for desomorphine, has emerged as a deadly and alarming drug phenomenon in recent years. This report delves into the intricate relationship between krokodil abuse, its adverse effects on the skin and its profound impact on cardiovascular events. Our patient developed a non-healing cutaneous ulceration associated with an acute onset of cardiac arrhythmia, as well as bilateral upper extremity acute deep-vein thrombosis.

Learning points: The use of Krokodil can lead to chronic non-healing ulcerations.It is important to be aware that new cardiac arrhythmias can arise in individuals using krokodil.Acute bilateral upper extremity thrombosis can occur as a complication in patients using krokodil.

Keywords: Krokodil; desomorphine; morphine; necrosis; skin ulcer.