Clinical Medicine Insights: Case Reports (Jun 2022)

Bilateral Wrist Drop Due to Lead Poisoning in a Young Woman With Opium Addiction

  • Hossein Azadeh,
  • Farhad Gholami,
  • Zakaria Zakariaei,
  • Elham Sadat Banimostafavi,
  • Mostafa Soleymani

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/11795476221103813
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15

Abstract

Read online

Opium addiction can cause symptoms in the central or peripheral neurological systems, as well as gastrointestinal disorders and anemia; in such situations, lead poisoning should be considered and chelation therapy should be started as soon as possible. In adults, lead poisoning is an unusual cause of abdominal pain. A common form of lead neuropathy includes weakness of the wrist and finger extensors. We describe a 24-year-old female who developed severe lead poisoning after 3 years of opium consumption, leading to gastrointestinal complaints and bilateral wrist drops.