Background and purpose: Effects of methadone misuse have been rarely described. The purpose of this case report is to increase the knowledge of methadone-related leukoencephalopathy.
Methods: We report the long-term follow-up by brain magnetic resonance imaging including isotropic diffusion-weighted imaging and mean apparent diffusion coefficient values of a 49-year-old patient who attempted suicide by intravenous methadone.
Results and conclusions: Lesion pattern included subtle cerebellar involvement, mainly reversible extensive bilateral and symmetric brain involvement, cystic degeneration in the periventricular regions, sparing of corpus callosum and subcortical U-fibers, development of diffuse brain atrophy, and clear-cut clinical improvement.
© 2010 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.