Severe cerebellitis following methadone poisoning

We report a 3-year-old girl with an unusual presentation of cerebellitis following ingestion of methadone. CT showed diffuse symmetrical swelling and oedema of the cerebellum resulting in compression of the fourth ventricle and hydrocephalus. The changes were confirmed on MRI with the addition of wa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPediatric radiology Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 227 - 229
Main Authors Mills, Fionnghuala, MacLennan, Suzanna C., Devile, Catherine J., Saunders, Dawn E.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.02.2008
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Case Report
Cerebellar Diseases - chemically induced
Cerebellar Diseases - diagnosis
Child, Preschool
Diagnosis, Differential
Female
Humans
Imaging
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Methadone - poisoning
Neuroradiology
Neurotoxicity Syndromes - diagnosis
Nuclear Medicine
Oncology
Pediatrics
Radiology
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Ultrasound
CT
Cerebellitis
Methadone
MRI
Child
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Summary:We report a 3-year-old girl with an unusual presentation of cerebellitis following ingestion of methadone. CT showed diffuse symmetrical swelling and oedema of the cerebellum resulting in compression of the fourth ventricle and hydrocephalus. The changes were confirmed on MRI with the addition of watershed injuries. These findings represent a toxic encephalopathy and have been reported in previous cases of heroin intoxication by inhalation, but rarely following opioid ingestion. The aetiology of the watershed infarcts is discussed.
ISSN:0301-0449
1432-1998
DOI:10.1007/s00247-007-0635-6