Historique
Article de Périodique
Necrosis of ears after use of cocaine probably adulterated with levamisole (2011)
Auteur(s) :
DE LA HERA, I. ;
SANZ, V. ;
CULLEN, D. ;
CHICO, R. ;
PETITI, G. ;
VILLAR, M. ;
BURGUES, M. ;
SANZ, J. ;
CASTELLANOS, M. ;
ZARCO, O. ;
ORTIZ, P. L. ;
RODRIGUEZ-PERALTO, J. L. ;
VANACLOCHA, F.
Année
2011
Page(s) :
25-28
Sous-type de document :
Etude de cas / Case report
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Refs biblio. :
19
Domaine :
Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs
Discipline :
PAT (Pathologie organique / Organic pathology)
Thésaurus mots-clés
ETUDE DE CAS
;
COCAINE
;
LEVAMISOLE
;
ADULTERANT
;
OREILLE
;
NECROSE
;
THROMBOSE
Résumé :
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Levamisole is an anthelminthic drug with immunomodulatory properties that has been found to be an adulterant of cocaine in the last 2 years. It was present at least in 70% of tainted cocaine in the U.S.A. in 2009.
METHODS: We present the case of a 40-year-old patient with a history of weekend cocaine use who consulted for bilateral necrotic lesions in the ears that had appeared 3 days after the last use.
RESULTS: Levamisole causes a typical clinical picture characterized by bilateral necrosis of the ears, positive perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and laboratory findings of antiphospholipid syndrome, such as anticardiolipin antibodies and/or lupus anticoagulant.
CONCLUSION: Dermatologists should be aware of this new entity, which is likely to be more and more frequent due to the increasing use of cocaine. Here we describe a clinical case that is likely to be secondary to levamisole-tainted cocaine and review the literature.
METHODS: We present the case of a 40-year-old patient with a history of weekend cocaine use who consulted for bilateral necrotic lesions in the ears that had appeared 3 days after the last use.
RESULTS: Levamisole causes a typical clinical picture characterized by bilateral necrosis of the ears, positive perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and laboratory findings of antiphospholipid syndrome, such as anticardiolipin antibodies and/or lupus anticoagulant.
CONCLUSION: Dermatologists should be aware of this new entity, which is likely to be more and more frequent due to the increasing use of cocaine. Here we describe a clinical case that is likely to be secondary to levamisole-tainted cocaine and review the literature.
Affiliation :
Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain