Severe length‐dependent peripheral polyneuropathy in a patient with subacute combined spinal cord degeneration secondary to recreational nitrous oxide abuse: A case report and literature review

Abstract Nitrous oxide abuse can have detrimental effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems. This case study report aims to demonstrate a combination of severe generalized sensorimotor polyneuropathy and cervical myelopathy related to vitamin B12 deficiency following nitrous oxide abuse....

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Main Authors: Ventzislav Bonev, Mark Wyatt, Matthew J. Barton, Michael A. Leitch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023-02-01
Series:Clinical Case Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ccr3.6881
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author Ventzislav Bonev
Mark Wyatt
Matthew J. Barton
Michael A. Leitch
author_facet Ventzislav Bonev
Mark Wyatt
Matthew J. Barton
Michael A. Leitch
author_sort Ventzislav Bonev
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Nitrous oxide abuse can have detrimental effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems. This case study report aims to demonstrate a combination of severe generalized sensorimotor polyneuropathy and cervical myelopathy related to vitamin B12 deficiency following nitrous oxide abuse. We present a clinical case study and literature review examining primary research—published between 2012 and 2022—reporting nitrous oxide abuse affecting the spinal cord (myelopathy) and peripheral nerves (polyneuropathy); 35 articles were included in the review with a total of 96 patients, where the mean “patients” age was 23.9 years and were in a 2:1 male/female ratio. Of the 96 cases, within the review, 56% of patients were diagnosed with polyneuropathy, most commonly impacting the nerves of the lower limb (62%), while 70% of patients were diagnosed with myelopathy, most commonly impacting the cervical region (78%) on the spinal cord. In our clinical case study, a 28‐year‐old male underwent a multitude of diagnostic investigations for bilateral “foot drop” and sense of lower limb stiffness as ongoing complications of a vitamin B12 deficiency secondary to recreational nitrous oxide abuse. Both the literature review and our case report emphasize the dangers of recreational nitrous oxide inhalation, colloquially termed “nanging” and the risks it presents to both the central and peripheral nervous systems, which is erroneously considered by many recreational drug users to be less harmful than other illicit substances.
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spelling doaj.art-edca7cb92b5e400797c2862bd02099c62023-03-27T08:31:44ZengWileyClinical Case Reports2050-09042023-02-01112n/an/a10.1002/ccr3.6881Severe length‐dependent peripheral polyneuropathy in a patient with subacute combined spinal cord degeneration secondary to recreational nitrous oxide abuse: A case report and literature reviewVentzislav Bonev0Mark Wyatt1Matthew J. Barton2Michael A. Leitch3School of Medicine Griffith University Gold Coast Queensland AustraliaSchool of Medicine Griffith University Gold Coast Queensland AustraliaSchool of Nursing and Midwifery Griffith University Gold Coast Queensland AustraliaSchool of Medicine Griffith University Gold Coast Queensland AustraliaAbstract Nitrous oxide abuse can have detrimental effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems. This case study report aims to demonstrate a combination of severe generalized sensorimotor polyneuropathy and cervical myelopathy related to vitamin B12 deficiency following nitrous oxide abuse. We present a clinical case study and literature review examining primary research—published between 2012 and 2022—reporting nitrous oxide abuse affecting the spinal cord (myelopathy) and peripheral nerves (polyneuropathy); 35 articles were included in the review with a total of 96 patients, where the mean “patients” age was 23.9 years and were in a 2:1 male/female ratio. Of the 96 cases, within the review, 56% of patients were diagnosed with polyneuropathy, most commonly impacting the nerves of the lower limb (62%), while 70% of patients were diagnosed with myelopathy, most commonly impacting the cervical region (78%) on the spinal cord. In our clinical case study, a 28‐year‐old male underwent a multitude of diagnostic investigations for bilateral “foot drop” and sense of lower limb stiffness as ongoing complications of a vitamin B12 deficiency secondary to recreational nitrous oxide abuse. Both the literature review and our case report emphasize the dangers of recreational nitrous oxide inhalation, colloquially termed “nanging” and the risks it presents to both the central and peripheral nervous systems, which is erroneously considered by many recreational drug users to be less harmful than other illicit substances.https://doi.org/10.1002/ccr3.6881myelopathynangingnitrous oxidepolyneuropathy
spellingShingle Ventzislav Bonev
Mark Wyatt
Matthew J. Barton
Michael A. Leitch
Severe length‐dependent peripheral polyneuropathy in a patient with subacute combined spinal cord degeneration secondary to recreational nitrous oxide abuse: A case report and literature review
Clinical Case Reports
myelopathy
nanging
nitrous oxide
polyneuropathy
title Severe length‐dependent peripheral polyneuropathy in a patient with subacute combined spinal cord degeneration secondary to recreational nitrous oxide abuse: A case report and literature review
title_full Severe length‐dependent peripheral polyneuropathy in a patient with subacute combined spinal cord degeneration secondary to recreational nitrous oxide abuse: A case report and literature review
title_fullStr Severe length‐dependent peripheral polyneuropathy in a patient with subacute combined spinal cord degeneration secondary to recreational nitrous oxide abuse: A case report and literature review
title_full_unstemmed Severe length‐dependent peripheral polyneuropathy in a patient with subacute combined spinal cord degeneration secondary to recreational nitrous oxide abuse: A case report and literature review
title_short Severe length‐dependent peripheral polyneuropathy in a patient with subacute combined spinal cord degeneration secondary to recreational nitrous oxide abuse: A case report and literature review
title_sort severe length dependent peripheral polyneuropathy in a patient with subacute combined spinal cord degeneration secondary to recreational nitrous oxide abuse a case report and literature review
topic myelopathy
nanging
nitrous oxide
polyneuropathy
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ccr3.6881
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AT matthewjbarton severelengthdependentperipheralpolyneuropathyinapatientwithsubacutecombinedspinalcorddegenerationsecondarytorecreationalnitrousoxideabuseacasereportandliteraturereview
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