St. Anthony's fire (ergotamine induced leg ischemia)--a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Ergotism, once an epidemic disease, is now a rare disorder. The most common manifestation is acute peripheral ischemia due to vasospasm, with an incidence of 0.001%. We report a case of a middle-age woman who presented with ergotamine-induced leg ischemia, due to chronic use of ergotamine-containing medications for migraine headaches. The diagnosis was confirmed with arteriography results, and she responded well to vasodilator therapy. The pharmacology, clinical presentation, diagnostic approach, and therapy of ergotism are reviewed.