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 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| 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 2c-b complications 2c-b toxicity 2c-b health risks Neurological damage Brain injury Brain dysfunction Brain tissue death Blood vessel damage Neurological risks Paralysis Neurotoxicity Neurovascular damage Brain damage Designer drugs Recreational drugs Novel psychoactive substances Nps Synthetic drugs Party drugs Drug toxicity Drug adverse reactions Drug harm Drug complications Drug side effects Drug-induced injury Drug poisoning |
| Citations | 32 |
| Key findings | 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.