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Case Reports
. 2021 Jul 29:8:2329048X211030757.
doi: 10.1177/2329048X211030757. eCollection 2021 Jan-Dec.

A Case Report of Myelopathy Following Heroin Overdose in a Child

Ana Melikishvili  1 , Bijal Patel  2 , Daphne M Hasbani  2 , Karen S Carvalho  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

A Case Report of Myelopathy Following Heroin Overdose in a Child

Ana Melikishvili et al. Child Neurol Open. .

Abstract

Neurologic complications secondary to heroin abuse in the adult population have been widely described in the literature. With the recent opioid epidemic and increasing rates of heroin abuse in adolescents, pediatricians are now encountering the diagnostic and management challenge of similar complications in children. We report a case of a 16-year-old girl who presented with complete paraplegia after a heroin overdose. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging showed diffuse thoracic spinal cord abnormalities. She rapidly recovered after high dose intravenous corticosteroids and, upon hospital discharge 2 weeks later, required minimal assistance with ambulation. This case represents the youngest patient reported with the rare complication of myelopathy associated with heroin use.

Keywords: heroin; myelopathy; overdose.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
T2-weighted image showing a longitudinally extensive signal intensity alteration involving the spinal cord from T3 down to T11, with the segment of more pronounced alteration at T8-T9 (arrows).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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