ABSTRACT

Hong Kong Med J 1996;2:96-8 | Number 1, March 1996
CASE REPORT
Cerebral atrophy in heroin abuse
DTS Lee, AT Ahuja, KO Ng, C Chan, CM Leung, CN Chen
Substance Abuse Unit, Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
 
 
Although psychoactive substance abuse has been known to cause cerebral atrophy, there are no previous reports of a similar nature pertaining to the use of heroin. We describe a 26-year-old male intravenous heroin abuser who had prominent cerebral atrophy that could not be explained by other medical conditions. The possible relationship between cerebral atrophy and chronic heroin use is discussed.
 
Key words: Substance abuse; Substance abuse, intravenous; Substance abuse, complications; Heroin dependence; Atrophy, cerebral
 
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