Hypoxic brain injury from drug ingestion
Presentation
This young adult male patient collapsed on an international flight.
From the case:
Hypoxic brain injury from drug ingestion
CT
Axial non-contrast
Bilateral globus pallidus hypodensity consistent with hypoxic brain injury.
From the case:
Hypoxic brain injury from drug ingestion
CT
Axial non-contrast
Rounded heterogeneous structures in stomach and bowel (drug packets).
The “knot sign” - an eccentric low density nodule on the drug packet, representing the knot in the condom.
Case Discussion
These findings together suggest drug packet rupture followed by collapse, hypoxia and subsequent brain injury.