AI Article Synopsis
- - Cannabis use is rising globally, but it can lead to severe health issues, including acute hippocampal encephalopathy in heavy users (more than 10 joints a day).
- - Two male patients experienced symptoms resembling encephalitis, with MRIs showing abnormalities in the hippocampus, along with other health complications, but no signs of infections or seizures were found.
- - Although the acute symptoms improved over weeks, both patients faced significant long-term memory issues related to hippocampal damage after further cannabis use, highlighting a need for awareness among health professionals.
Article Abstract
Background: Cannabis use is increasing worldwide despite the various health effects of this substance.
Methods: We report 2 cases of acute hippocampal encephalopathy in heavy cannabis users (>10 joints/d).
Results: In both male patients, acute encephalitis was suspected. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diffusion-weighted sequences showed bilateral high signal abnormalities in hippocampal regions. Patients had renal dysfunction, rhabdomyolysis, and inflammatory syndrome. Investigations showed no evidence of infectious or autoimmune encephalitides. Repeated electroencephalograms revealed no epileptic activity. Clinical, biological, and magnetic resonance imaging acute abnormalities improved within weeks. New exposure to cannabis yielded a new episode of encephalopathy. In both patients, severe long-lasting episodic memory impairment associated with hippocampal atrophy were observed several months later.
Conclusions: Health professionals should be aware of this cannabis-related syndrome given its severe and long-lasting effects.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2019.11.018 | DOI Listing |
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