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Carotid Artery Dissection Induced Acute Tongue Swelling in a Cocaine User
Antonio Siniscalchi1, Paolo Perrotta1, Piergiorgio Lochner1
1Siniscalchi, Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit, "Annunziata" Hospital, Cosenza, Italy. Perrotta, Department of Neuroradiology, "Annunziata" Hospital, Cosenza, Italy. Lochner, Department of Neurology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Germany. Gallelli, Chair of Pharmacology, Department of Health Science, School of Medicine, University of Catanzaro, Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Mater Domini University Hospital, Catanzaro, Italy.
Abstract:
Carotid artery dissection represents a well-recognized cause of hypoglossal nerve paralysis even if it is less known the cause of acute tongue swelling. We report a 42-year old men who presented to our observation with acute tongue swelling and atrophy of left side of tongue from a hypoglossal nerve injury. A magnetic resonance imaging revealed a denervation of the left half of the tongue from a hypoglossal nerve injury due to left extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection, without evidence of ischemic stroke. The urine toxicology screen test revealed a positivity for cocaine. This case report suggest to perform in young patient a toxicological drug screening test in presence of ICA dissection with hypoglossal nerve injury and an acute tongue swelling. However clinical data must be performed to validate this observation and to analyze the negative effect of cocaine use.
