1. Late onset epilepsy associated with marijuana abuse: a case report with MRI findings
- Author
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Yannick Fogoum Fogang, Massaman Camara, Paul Chimi Mbonda, Dénahin Toffa, and Kamadore Touré
- Subjects
symptomatic epilepsy ,intracerebral haemorrhage ,marijuana ,magnetic resonance imaging ,Medicine - Abstract
Marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance in the world. The relation between marijuana use and epileptic seizures is still controversial. We report a case of late onset epilepsy associated with marijuana abuse, with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. A 44-year-old patient was admitted for 03 isolated episodes of secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizures. He had a history of 26 years regular marijuana smoking. On admission, we found a tachycardia, psychomotor slowing, asymmetric hyperreflexia, bilateral Babinski sign without weakness. Laboratory work-up showed a high level of urine of -9-tétrahydroxycannabinol. Electroencephalogram was normal. Brain MRI revealed abnormal signal intensities in the right frontal lobe and basal ganglia. Seizures cessation was obtained with anti-epileptic treatment. We suggest that marijuana abuse through vascular and toxic mechanisms could explain seizures in this case.
- Published
- 2014
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