Sensory-motor polyneuropathy due to the use of antiparasitic drugs: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: The term polyneuropathy refers to a generalized involvement of peripheral nerves, usually involving mainly the distal nerves and, more often, presenting with sensory, motor, and autonomic symptoms and clinical findings. Drug-induced peripheral neuropathy (DIPN) is a persistent condition, most often associated with anticonvulsants, chemotherapy, cardiovascular, psychotropic, and antimicrobial drugs, such as Metronidazole. In this article, we report the case of a patient who developed polyneuropathy secondary to the use of Metronidazole. Case Report: D.D.S.L., a 45-year-old female, previously healthy, presented with abdominal discomfort. Entamoeba histolytica was detected after investigation, and she started a 7-day cycle of 500 mg of Metronidazole three times a day for seven days, without clinical response. A new therapeutic approach was attempted, with three cycles of 2 grams of Secnidazole single dose and Tinidazole for four weeks. However, the patient presented dysesthesia in the distal third of the thighs, followed by allodynia in the four limbs and trunk. After new abdominal discomfort, three months after the first medication cycle, another pharmacological cycle was started. Neurological examination and electroneuromyography (ENM) examination suggested axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy in all four limbs. Conclusion: Polyneuropathy can be caused by many factors, including some frequently prescribed drugs such as Metronidazole and other medications in the 5-nitroimidazole group. Therefore, although the relationship between these drugs and polyneuropathy is not fully elucidated, their neurotoxicity is indisputable, even in rare cases, but with significant variability in terms of the dose-dependent potential for this disease.