Cerebral vasculopathy after 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine ingestion.
Josiah B Ambrose, Heather D Bennett, Han S Lee, S Andrew Josephson
The neurologist May 1, 2010 DOI: 10.1097/NRL.0b013e3181a3cb53 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA 43-year-old woman developed severe headaches within 48 hours of taking liquid 2C-B, a designer drug similar to ecstasy, followed by progressive brain dysfunction and paralysis of all four limbs that did not improve over months. Imaging revealed profound abnormalities in blood vessels of all sizes, leading to stroke-like tissue damage in the brain. Tests of brain tissue and spinal fluid ruled out inflammation. This case demonstrates a rare and devastating neurological reaction to 2C-B, a recreational drug whose use has grown with online synthesis guides.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A 43-year-old woman |
| Intervention | 2C-B |
| Keywords | 2c-b risks 2c-b dangers 2c-b side effects 2c-b adverse effects 2c-b neurological harm |
| Citations | 32 |
| Key finding | 2C-B can cause severe, irreversible neurological damage including vascular abnormalities and brain infarction. |
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.