Brain MRI Findings in Tramadol Poisoning

Abstract

Introduction: Recently tramadol intoxication and non-therapeutical abuse have been prevalent in Iran. in this study we aimed at evaluating possible central neural system lesions in patients with tramadol induced seizure by using MRI imaging.Methods & Materials: a cross-sectional study was conducted with age- and sex-matched case and control groups. The case group included oral tramadol intoxication cases with loss of consciousness and/or tramadol induced seizure. The control group included patients with seizure without tramadol consumption. In the first post seizure 24-hour, brain MRI was done and the images were interpreted by a radiologist. Finally all data were collected and they were recorded and analyzed using SPSS software.Results: 15 patients (7 females and 8 males) were in the control group and 15 patients (3 females and 12 males) were in the case group with mean age of 22.27±6.54 and 21.93±4.57 years, respectively. 8 patients of case group and 3 patients of control group had abnormal evidences (hyper signal foci in white mtter) in brain MRI images; there were no significant difference between two groups (p=0.128). Lesions depth in MRI images of case group were equally in Subcortical and Deep parts of white matter (37.5%) and in 2 cases (25%) were observed in both parts. There was no difference between two groups in this way (p=0.721). The most common involved lobe in both groups was frontal lobe which was observed in 62.5% (5 patients) of case group and 100% (3 patients) of control group. In comparison between two groups there was no significant difference in involved lobe (p=0.509).Conclusion: In our study, over half of case group patients had hypersignal evidences in MRI imaging. However no specific pattern was seen in these lesions. Also no significant difference was observed between case and control groups in lesions pattern.