Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: a complication of nitrous oxide abuse.

BMJ Case Rep

Neurology, Zuyderland Medisch Centrum Sittard-Geleen, Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands.

Published: August 2021

Nitrous oxide (NO) is an inhalant that has become increasingly popular as a recreational drug. While it is presumed to be harmless, a number of adverse effects of NO have been described. We discuss the case of a 24-year-old man with no medical history, who initially presented to the emergency department with progressive polyneuropathy caused by vitamin B deficiency after NO abuse. Two days after being discharged with hydroxocobalamin supplementation, the patient returned with a severe headache, blurry vision and slurred speech. Imaging revealed cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Hypercoagulability workup showed slightly elevated homocysteine and normalised vitamin B after supplementation. Genetic testing showed a heterozygous prothrombin G20210A mutation. He was treated with low-molecular-weight heparin followed by dabigatran. We hypothesise that NO use may increase the risk of developing cerebral venous thrombosis, especially in patients with multiple risk factors and elevated homocysteine levels.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8370558PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2021-244478DOI Listing

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