Cerebral vasculopathy after 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine ingestion.
The neurologist – May 01, 2010
Source: PubMed
Summary
While recreational use of the designer drug 2C-B has surged, its severe neurological risks were largely unknown. A recent case revealed a 43-year-old woman developed debilitating headaches, brain dysfunction, and paralysis after taking it. Advanced imaging showed profound blood vessel damage and brain tissue death. Crucially, tests ruled out inflammation, identifying a unique and devastating reaction. This vital insight clarifies the potential for severe, previously unrecognized neurological harm from 2C-B.
Abstract
4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) is a designer-drug variant of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) whose recreational use has increased significantly over the last 10 years. Neurologic consequences of 2C-B usage are currently unknown. A 43-year-old woman experienced severe headaches within 48 hours of taking liquid 2C-B, after which time she developed progressive encephalopathy and quadraparesis, which did not improve over several months. MRA and cerebral angiogram imaging demonstrated profound vascular abnormalities of large, medium, and small-caliber vessels with subsequent watershed infarction. Brain biopsy and cerebrospinal fluid studies ruled out an inflammatory process. This case demonstrates an idiosyncratic and devastating neurologic response to 2C-B, a recreational drug whose popularity has increased with widespread availability of online guides for its synthesis.