[Brain vasculitis associated with drugs]

Rev Neurol. 2005 Jun;40(12):736-8.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Introduction: Vasculitis or angiitis is the term used to define the inflammation of the vessels, either blood or lymphatic, which causes may be primary related to immunological disorders, or secondary, with great variety of causal factors.

Case report: We present a very uncommon case of a 36 year old man with brain vasculitis associated with drugs with very peculiar characteristics in the imaging studies and with definite diagnosis through histopathology obtained by biopsy, which differs from the few reports in the literature until our days.

Conclusions: Our report is an uncommon case of cerebral vasculitis whose clinical features were confusing with impressing neuroimaging studies that showed possible lesions due to vasculitis that was confirmed through a cerebral biopsy and considering that the immunological tests were negative for a primary vasculitic process, we concluded that it was a vasculitis secondary to drug abuse which represents a special interest in view of the few existing reports in literature with definite diagnostic methods, such as cerebral biopsy or autopsy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Biopsy
  • Brain / pathology*
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / analysis
  • Electroencephalography
  • Facial Paralysis / chemically induced
  • Facial Paralysis / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Prednisone / therapeutic use
  • Substance-Related Disorders / complications*
  • Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / chemically induced*
  • Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / diagnosis*
  • Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / drug therapy

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins
  • Prednisone