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.

Hong Kong Med J 1996;2:96-8

Key words: Substance abuse; Substance abuse, intravenous; Substance abuse, complications; Heroin dependence; Atrophy, cerebral