The Relationship of Neuropathy to the Treatment of Tuberculosis with Isoniazid

Anti-tuberculosis treatment for Devic’s neuromyelitis optica

“…An association between NMO and evolving pulmonary tuberculosis has been reported in the past 40 years. [1][2][3][4] This prospective study tests the hypothesis that anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy is an effective treatment for steroid-refractory NMO patients, and defines the correlation between steroid-refractory NMO and tuberculosis infection. We investigated, at the clinical and molecular level, NMO patients who did not respond to treatment with corticosteroids.…”

Myelopathy during treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis

“…Ethambutol is known to cause retrobulbar neuritis by a doserelated mechanism (Donomae and Yamamoto, 1966) and can also cause a peripheral neuropathy (Tugwell and James, 1972). Isoniazid may produce a peripheral neuropathy if pyridoxine supplements are not given (Dixon, Roberts and Tyrell, 1956), and optic neuropathy has also been described (Keeping and Searle, 1955). There certainly is no convincing evidence in the literature to incriminate these agents in the pathogenesis of a myelopathy.…”

Non-Addisonian Megaloblastic Anaemia, Complicated by Subacute Combined Degeneration of the Cord

“…Polyneuritis had only rarely been reported as a complication of tuberculosis prior to isoniazid treatment (Harris, 1926: Ford, 1944. Since then several authors have reported polyneuritis in patients with tuberculosis treated with isoniazid (Katz et al, 1944;Dixon et al, 1956). It is believed that polyneuritis is more frequent with high and prolonged dosage schemes (Biehl and Nimitz, 1954), though these authors found that 8% of patients receiving 6-10 mg. of isoniazid per kg.…”

“…body weight daily developed polyneuritis. Dixon et al (1956) were of the opinion that some patients might develop neuropathy on moderate dosage of isoniazid, and noted that the condition improved spontaneously when the drug was discontinued. It is believed that our patient developed polyneuritis due to vitamin B12 deficiency, occurring in an established malabsorption syndrome, and not because of isoniazid therapy or nicotinic acid and riboflavine deficiency.…”