A Case of Disulfiram Neuropathy

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 13(3); 1995 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 1995;13(3): 682-688.

다이설피람 (Disulfiram) 신경병증 1예

홍도권, 김형준, 예종수, 김응규, 허 경, 조효근

인제대학교 신경과

A Case of Disulfiram Neuropathy

Do Kwon Hong, M.D., Hyeong Jun Kim, M.D., Jong Su Ye, M.D., Oeung Kyo Kim, M.D., Kyoung Heo, M.D., Hyo Kun Cho, M.D.

Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Inje University

Abstract

Disulfiram, tetraethylthiuram disulfide, has been used in the clinical treatment of alcoholism since 1948. Aside from the manifestations of a disulfiram-alcohol reaction, disulfiram causes direct toxic side effects including psychiatric, cardiovascular, hematologic and neurologic disorders. The most frequent neurologic side effects are drowsiness, apathy, headache, decreased sexual potency, neuropathy, and optic neuritis. We describe a 26-year-old man who insidiously developed a distal synunetric sensorimotor polyneuropathy after seven years of disulfiram ingestion confirmed by nerve biopsy. He showed nearly complete resolution after the disulfiram was stopped.