Encephalopathy due to toluene sniffing. Report of a case with magnetic resonance imaging

A 27-year-old man with a 10-year history of toluene abuse developed dementia, cerebellar ataxia, dysarthria and pyramidal signs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed atrophy of the cerebrum, corpus callosum, cerebellum and brainstem. The internal capsule showed abnormal intensity. Chronic toluene abuse may affect not only the cerebral and cerebellar cortex or brainstem but also the subcortical cerebral white matter. MRI may be a sensitive tool to use in evaluating the severity and prognosis of the neurological syndrome resulting from toluene abuse.