Acute Crit Care.  2018 May;33(2):110-113. 10.4266/acc.2016.00444.

Anterograde Amnesia after Acute Glufosinate Ammonium Intoxication

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea. youngmd@ajou.ac.kr

Abstract

Glufosinate ammonium (GA) intoxication causes several neurologic complications. We report a rare but typical case of GA intoxication associated with anterograde amnesia and bilateral hippocampal involvement. A 53-year-old woman with GA intoxication presented to the emergency department. Initial general and neurologic examinations were unremarkable but, from the day after admission, she exhibited anterograde amnesia. On brain magnetic resonance imaging, the signal intensity in the hippocampus was symmetrically and bilaterally increased. She was discharged with no medical problems, but the anterograde amnesia remained. Eleven days after the onset of amnesia, she returned to the neurology outpatient department with persisting anterograde amnesia but improving symptoms.

Keyword

ammonia; amnesia; herbicides; hippocampus

MeSH Terms

Ammonia
Ammonium Compounds*
Amnesia
Amnesia, Anterograde*
Brain
Emergency Service, Hospital
Female
Herbicides
Hippocampus
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Middle Aged
Neurologic Examination
Neurology
Outpatients
Ammonia
Herbicides

Figure

  • Figure 1. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the sixth day following glufosinate ammonium intoxication. Brain MRI revealed symmetric and bilateral increases in signal intensity in the hippocampus on (A) T2-weighted images and (B) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images. This lesion exhibited hyperintensity on (C) diffusion-weighted imaging and hypointensities on (D) apparent diffusion coefficient mapping.


Reference

1. Park HY, Lee PH, Shin DH, Kim GW. Anterograde amnesia with hippocampal lesions following glufosinate intoxication. Neurology. 2006; 67:914–5.
Article
2. Calas AG, Richard O, Même S, Beloeil JC, Doan BT, Gefflaut T, et al. Chronic exposure to glufosinate-ammonium induces spatial memory impairments, hippocampal MRI modifications and glutamine synthetase activation in mice. Neurotoxicology. 2008; 29:740–7.
Article
3. Meme S, Calas AG, Montécot C, Richard O, Gautier H, Gefflaut T, et al. MRI characterization of structural mouse brain changes in response to chronic exposure to the glufosinate ammonium herbicide. Toxicol Sci. 2009; 111:321–30.
Article
4. Anand KS, Dhikav V. Hippocampus in health and disease: an overview. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2012; 15:239–46.
Article
5. Haberny KA, Paule MG, Scallet AC, Sistare FD, Lester DS, Hanig JP, et al. Ontogeny of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor system and susceptibility to neurotoxicity. Toxicol Sci. 2002; 68:9–17.
Article
6. Kosenko E, Kaminsky Y, Lopata O, Muravyov N, Kaminsky A, Hermenegildo C, et al. Nitroarginine, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, prevents changes in superoxide radical and antioxidant enzymes induced by ammonia intoxication. Metab Brain Dis. 1998; 13:29–41.
7. Kosenko E, Kaminsky Y, Kaminsky A, Valencia M, Lee L, Hermenegildo C, et al. Superoxide production and antioxidant enzymes in ammonia intoxication in rats. Free Radic Res. 1997; 27:637–44.
Article
8. Koruk M, Aksoy H, Akçay F, Onuk MD. Antioxidant capacity and nitric oxide in patients with hepatic cirrhosis. Ann Clin Lab Sci. 2002; 32:252–6.
9. Ranganathan S, Sundaresan S, Raghavendra I, Kalyani S. Dry mixing technique for the large scale production of iodine fortified salt in India. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 1997; 6:92–4.
10. Tanaka J, Yamashita M, Yamashita M, Matsuo H, Yamamoto T. Two cases of glufosinate poisoning with late onset convulsions. Vet Hum Toxicol. 1998; 40:219–22.
11. Park JS, Kwak SJ, Gil HW, Kim SY, Hong SY. Glufosinate herbicide intoxication causing unconsciousness, convulsion, and 6th cranial nerve palsy. J Korean Med Sci. 2013; 28:1687–9.
Article
12. Calas AG, Perche O, Richard O, Perche A, Pâris A, Lauga F, et al. Characterization of seizures induced by acute exposure to an organophosphate herbicide, glufosinate-ammonium. Neuroreport. 2016; 27:532–41.
Article
13. Youn SW, Kim HK, LEE HJ. A case of anterograde amnesia with bilateral hippocampus involvement after acute glufosinate ammonium intoxication. J Korean Soc Magn Reson Med. 2014; 18:352–6.
Article
14. Wi DH, Chang H. Treatment of status epilepticus following glufosinate ammonium intoxication. J Korean Epilepsy Soc. 2007; 11:113–5.
15. Cenger CD, Kurtulus A, Acar K, Boz B. Presentation of the change in the number of hippocampal neurons by stereological method in surviving cases of mechanical asphyxia: an experimental rat study. Rom J Leg Med. 2012; 20:95–100.
Article
16. Caine D, Watson JD. Neuropsychological and neuropathological sequelae of cerebral anoxia: a critical review. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2000; 6:86–99.
Article
Full Text Links
  • ACC
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr