Brachial Plexopathy from Metaldehyde Poisoning – A Case Report

Abstract

We describe the case of a middle-aged female with schizophrenia, who developed acute sensorimotor deficits of the right upper limb within a week of ingesting large amounts of metaldehyde in a suicide attempt. A right-sided brachial plexopathy was diagnosed clinically and supported by electrophysiologic assessments and targeted magnetic resonance imaging scans. Although metaldehyde’s neurotoxicity typically affects the central nervous system, focal involvement of the peripheral nervous system remains unreported in medical literature, and its pathogenic processes await further elucidation. Therefore, we recommend the continued observation for the subsequent development of sensorimotor deficits during the first week of metaldehyde poisoning.