Subacute Combined Degeneration of the Spinal Cord: A Consequence of Recreational Nitrous Oxide Use.

Autor: Kingma TJ; Internal Medicine, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Spartanburg, USA., Bascoy S; Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, USA., Altaf MD; Diagnostic Radiology, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, USA., Surampudy A; Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, USA., Chaudhry B; Internal Medicine, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Cureus [Cureus] 2022 Nov 27; Vol. 14 (11), pp. e31936. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Nov 27 (Print Publication: 2022).
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.31936
Abstrakt: A 21-year-old female presented to the hospital with worsening bilateral lower extremity weakness and sensory changes in the distal extremities following chronic nitrous oxide (N 2 O) abuse. Laboratory and radiographic results were suggestive of subacute combined degeneration of the upper cervical and thoracic spinal cord in the setting of a normal vitamin B12 level of 374 pg/mL with an elevation in methylmalonic acid to 1.14 mcmol/L. She was diagnosed with a relative B12 deficiency and treated with supplemental vitamin B12, resulting in an improvement in symptoms. This case highlights the importance of considering relative vitamin B12 deficiency as a diagnosis in the setting of nitrous oxide use, regardless of measured vitamin B12 level.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
(Copyright © 2022, Kingma et al.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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