[Nuclear magnetic resonance tomography detection of heroin-associated CNS lesions]

Rare patterns of heroin-associated lesions within the central nervous system are described. In one case, magnetic resonance imaging revealed the combination of a border zone infarct within the thoracal spinal cord and a bilateral lesion within the globus pallidus. In a second case, cerebral border zone infarctions were observed which were attributed to a vasospasm of the basal cerebral arteries. Drug-abuse should be considered as a potential cause of these unusual manifestations of ischemic lesions in young patients.