RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Lesson of the month: Oxycodone-induced leukoencephalopathy: a rare diagnosis
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP 600
OP 602
DO 10.7861/clinmed.2020-06500-0-0
VO 20
IS 6
A1 Eleanor Jones
A1 Udayaraj Umasankar
A1 Habeeba Mallu
A1 Timothy Hampton
A1 Angela Kulendran
A1 Mehool Patel
YR 2020
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/20/6/600.abstract
AB Oxycodone-induced leukoencephalopathy is a rare diagnosis that should be considered in unconscious patients with appropriate history. We describe a case of a 57-year-old unconscious woman who required intubation and did not respond to naloxone infusion. The unconsciousness was initially thought to be due to hypoxic brain injury. However, a further review of brain imaging showed characteristic features of oxycodone-induced leukoencephalopathy. We describe the pathological and radiological features of this condition, and provide a concise review of the limited literature on this condition. Accurate diagnosis of this condition will be valuable to clinicians and patients in terms of their medium-term and long-term prognosis, and potential for rehabilitation.