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Case Reports
. 2015 Jan 16:2015:bcr2014206162.
doi: 10.1136/bcr-2014-206162.

Metronidazole-induced encephalopathy after prolonged metronidazole course for treatment of C. difficile colitis

Mark S Godfrey  1 , Arkadiy Finn  2 , Hadeel Zainah  3 , Kwame Dapaah-Afriyie  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Metronidazole-induced encephalopathy after prolonged metronidazole course for treatment of C. difficile colitis

Mark S Godfrey et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

A 65-year-old woman with a diagnosis of Clostridium difficile colitis undergoing prolonged treatment with metronidazole was admitted to hospital for altered mentation, slurred speech and weakness. She was diagnosed with metronidazole-induced encephalopathy, confirmed with brain MRI and improved when the offending agent was removed. This case report highlights encephalopathy as a complication of prolonged metronidazole treatment, which has become more common in clinical practice for the treatment of C. difficile infection.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images with abnormal signal hyperintensity in (A) bilateral dentate nuclei and (B) splenium of the corpus callosum. Diffusion-weighted images (C) and (D) demonstrate restricted diffusion in the bilateral subcortical white matter.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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