Acute methanol poisoning with bilateral diffuse cerebral hemorrhage: A case report

Abstract

BACKGROUND Acute methanol poisoning (AMP) is a systemic disease that mainly affects the central nervous system and is characterized by ocular damage and metabolic acidosis. If appropriate treatments are inadequate or delayed, the mortality can exceed 40%. As the most serious complication, cerebral hemorrhage is rare with reported prevalence of 7%-19%. CASE SUMMARY A 62-year-old man drank liquor mixed with 45% methanol and 35% alcohol. His vision blurred 10 h later and he fell into coma in another 9 h. Serum toxicological tests were performed immediately, and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) was carried out as the lactic acid exceeded 15 mmol/L and blood pH was 6.78. In addition, the toxicological report revealed 1300.5 μg/mL of methanol in serum and 1500.2 μg/mL in urine. After 59 h of CRRT, the methanol level decreased to 126.0 μg/mL in serum and 151.0 μg/mL in urine. However, the patient was still unconscious and his pupillary light reflex was slow. Computed tomography showed hemorrhage in the left putamen. After 16 d of life support treatment, putamen hemorrhage developed into diffuse symmetric intracerebral hemorrhage. In the end, his family gave up and the patient was discharged, and died in a local hospital. CONCLUSION Cerebral hemorrhage requires constant vigilance during the full course of treatment for severe cases of AMP.

Outbreak of methanol-induced optic neuropathy in early COVID-19 era; effectiveness of erythropoietin and methylprednisolone therapy

“…Symptoms of toxicity, including metabolic acidosis, usually appear 12-24 h after exposure and can include weakness, anorexia, headache, nausea, vomiting, and hyperventilation[ 2 ]. Progression to coma and respiratory and circulatory arrest may also occur[ 4 ], as well as cerebral hemorrhage[ 5 ]. Optic neuropathy, causing blurred vision, tunnel vision, visual loss, and photophobia, may appear first or simultaneously with systemic symptoms[ 3 ].…”