Levamisole-induced occlusive necrotizing vasculitis of the ears after use of cocaine contaminated with levamisole

Jennie A Buchanan; Jody A Vogel; Aaron M Eberhardt

doi:10.1007/s13181-010-0097-3

Levamisole-induced occlusive necrotizing vasculitis of the ears after use of cocaine contaminated with levamisole

J Med Toxicol. 2011 Mar;7(1):83-4. doi: 10.1007/s13181-010-0097-3.

Authors

Jennie A Buchanan¹, Jody A Vogel, Aaron M Eberhardt

Affiliation

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, 777 Bannock St. MC 0108, Denver, CO, USA. [email protected]

Abstract

Based on the best available data, approximately 2.1 million Americans use illicit cocaine each month; for the last several months, 30% of that cocaine has been "cut" with a veterinary pharmaceutical, levamisole. Levamisole can cause agranulocytosis, leaving patients susceptible to fulminate and opportunistic infections and also can cause a debilitating cutaneous necrotizing vasculitis. In this manuscript, we describe a case and provide an image of levamisole-induced necrotizing vasculitis of the ears.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adult
Anthelmintics / toxicity*
Anthelmintics / urine
Cocaine / chemistry*
Drug Contamination*
Ear, External / drug effects
Ear, External / pathology
Humans
Illicit Drugs / chemistry*
Levamisole / toxicity*
Levamisole / urine
Male
Necrosis / chemically induced
Skin / drug effects
Skin / pathology
Skin Diseases, Vascular / chemically induced*
Skin Diseases, Vascular / pathology
Skin Diseases, Vascular / urine
Vasculitis / chemically induced*
Vasculitis / pathology
Vasculitis / urine
Veterinary Drugs / toxicity

Substances

Anthelmintics
Illicit Drugs
Veterinary Drugs
Levamisole
Cocaine