Publications

Adverse neurological effects following disulfiram overdose or chronic ingestion have been rarely reported. A 49-year-old gentleman, with a history of alcohol deaddiction and schizophrenia, presented with an inability to speak or walk. The symptoms had started a day earlier, following a fall in a park. Two days later, he was noted to have short-term memory impairment, hypophonia, hypomimia, inability to initiate speech or movements spontaneously, bradykinesia, and lower limb weakness. He admitted to having taken an overdose of 250 mg of disulfiram. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed bilateral globus pallidus and posterior putamen diffusion restriction and hyperintensity, which was suggestive of bilateral basal ganglia ischemia. He was started on levodopa 1000 mg/ day, and disulfiram was discontinued, after which his symptoms improved significantly.