Cerebral vasculitis following oral methylphenidate intake in an adult: a case report.

Abstract

Methylphenidate is structurally and functionally similar to amphetamine. Cerebral vasculitis associated with amphetamine abuse is well documented, and in rare cases ischaemic stroke has been reported after methylphenidate intake in children. We report the case of a 63-year-old female who was treated with methylphenidate due to hyperactivity and suffered from multiple ischaemic strokes. We consider drug-induced cerebral vasculitis as the most likely cause of recurrent ischaemic strokes in the absence of any pathological findings during the diagnostic work-up. We conclude that methylphenidate mediated vasculitis should be considered in patients with neurological symptoms and a history of methylphenidate therapy. This potential side-effect, though very rare, represents one more reason to be very restrictive in the use of methylphenidate.

• Authors: Götz Thomalla, Thomas Kucinski, Cornelius Weiller, Joachim Röther
• Journal: The world journal of biological psychiatry : the official journal of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (World J Biol Psychiatry) Vol. 7 Issue 1 Pg. 56-8 ( 2006) ISSN: 1562-2975 [Print] England
• PMID: 16428221 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Central Nervous System Stimulants
• Methylphenidate

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Adult
• Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (drug therapy)
• Brain (blood supply, pathology)
• Central Nervous System Stimulants (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Dyslexia, Acquired (etiology)
• Female
• Humans
• Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery (etiology, pathology)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Methylphenidate (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Middle Aged
• Recurrence
• Vasculitis, Central Nervous System (chemically induced, complications)