Citation

Liu MC, Garakani A, Krauskopf KA, Robinson-Papp J. Innov. Clin. Neurosci. 2013; 10(9-10): 26-29.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Matrix Medical Communications)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

Mothball ingestion has been previously cited to induce toxic-leukoencephalopathy, secondary to the destructive effects of paradichlorobenzene on central nervous system white matter. This case presents a 37-year-old woman who experienced a neuropsychiatric syndrome consistent with paradichlorobenzene-induced toxic leukoencephalopathy after two decades of mothball abuse. Her clinical presentation was insidious, involving fluctuating cognitive decline, depression, and psychosis. This was further complicated by an human immunodeficiency virus infection and concomitant cocaine abuse. Ultimately, her clinical findings were attributed to a reversible toxic-leukoencephalopathy from mothball ingestion, and her magnetic resonance imaging findings were consistent with symmetric leukoencephalopathy and atrophy. Though leukoencephalopathy in human immunodeficiency virus has numerous potential etiologies, a patient with a history of substance abuse warrants consideration of toxin-induced leukoencephalopathy, and further inquiry regarding abuse of other substances is appropriate. © 2013 Matrix Medical Communications. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; female; case report; suicide attempt; major depression; cocaine; neuropsychiatry; article; mental disease; cognitive defect; venlafaxine; unclassified drug; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; quetiapine; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; trazodone; follow up; patient compliance; neurologic disease; anemia; ritonavir; emtricitabine; tenofovir; auditory hallucination; Cocaine abuse; HIV infection; atrophy; visual hallucination; atazanavir; partial mastectomy; 1, 4 dichlorobenzene; HAND; leukoencephalopathy; Leukoencephalopathy; Mothballs; Paradichlorobenzene; Pdb