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Crack Cocaine Use-Related Spinal Cord Infarct.
Srikanth Adidam Venkata1,2, Narek Hakobyan3, Huan Yang2
1Neurology, Downstate Neurology at One Brooklyn Health, Brooklyn, USA.
Cureus
|October 16, 2023
Summary
This case report details a rare spinal cord infarct linked to recent crack cocaine use. The patient experienced sudden-onset paraplegia and sensory loss, confirmed by imaging.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Toxicology
- Vascular Medicine
Background:
- Crack cocaine is a potent stimulant with known cardiovascular and neurological risks.
- Spinal cord infarction is a rare but devastating neurological event.
- Vascular complications associated with stimulant drug use are increasingly recognized.
Observation:
- A 64-year-old male presented with acute lower extremity weakness, paraplegia, sensory loss, and urinary retention.
- The patient had a positive urine toxicology screen for cocaine.
- Clinical presentation and diagnostic imaging strongly suggested an acute spinal cord infarct.
Findings:
- The patient's symptoms were directly correlated with acute crack cocaine usage.
- Neurological examination revealed significant motor and sensory deficits below the mid-thigh.
- Spinal cord infarct was confirmed via neurological imaging.
Implications:
- This case highlights a potential, albeit uncommon, neurological complication of crack cocaine abuse.
- Clinicians should consider illicit drug use in the differential diagnosis of acute spinal cord syndromes.
- Further research is warranted to understand the mechanisms linking cocaine use to spinal cord infarction.
