Methanol Intoxication With Bilateral Putaminal and Occipital Necrosis

Syuan-Huei Lin ^a, Guo-Fang Tseng ^b, Chung-Chao Liang ^a, Yu-Chou Hung ^{a, c}

^aDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
^bDepartment of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
^cInstitute of Physiological and Anatomical Medicine, College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan

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Abstract

Methanol is a colorless fluid that smells and tastes like ethanol. It causes poisoning by accidental or intentional inhalation, ingestion or absorption through the skin. We report a 29-year-old man who was brought to the emergency room with dizziness, severe headache and blurred vision due to the ingestion of illegal liquor that contained methanol. Brain magnetic resonance imaging performed on day 38 showed necrosis of bilateral basal ganglia, especially the putamen, and bilateral occipital necrosis with hemorrhage on the left side, which was further confirmed with computed tomography. Thus, in addition to putaminal necrosis, damage to the occipital lobe could be an important aspect of methanol intoxication.

Keywords

Computed tomography; Magnetic resonance imaging; Methanol poisoning