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Late onset epilepsy associated with marijuana abuse: a case report with MRI findings


Yannick Fogoum Fogang
Massaman Camara
Paul Chimi Mbonda
Dènahin Toffa
Kamadore Touré

Abstract

Marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance in the world. The relation between marijuana use and  epileptic seizures is still controversial. We report a case of late onset epilepsy associated with marijuana abuse, with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. A 44-year-old patient was admitted for 03  isolated episodes of secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizures. He had a history of 26 years regular   marijuana smoking. On admission, we found a tachycardia, psychomotor slowing, asymmetric hyperreflexia, bilateral Babinski sign without weakness. Laboratory work-up showed a high level of urine of   Δ-9-tétrahydroxycannabinol. Electroencephalogram was normal. Brain MRI revealed abnormal signal   intensities in the right frontal lobe and basal ganglia. Seizures cessation was obtained with anti-epileptic   treatment. We suggest that marijuana abuse through vascular and toxic mechanisms could explain seizures in this case.

Key words: Symptomatic epilepsy, intracerebral haemorrhage, marijuana, Magnetic Resonance Imaging


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eISSN: 1937-8688