Abstract and Introduction
A quadriplegic patient with severe spasticity, treated with dantrolene (400 mg daily) for 5 years, had dyspnea, orthopnea, hypoxia, and right-sided opacity of the chest on radiograph. At thoracentesis, an exudative effusion containing 64% eosinophils was documented, with simultaneous peripheral eosinophilia of 11%. An allergic reaction to dantrolene was postulated. Despite withdrawal of the offending medication and repeated thoracenteses, symptomatic recurrence of effusion persisted for 4 days. After institution of prednisone therapy, rapid resolution of symptoms, signs, hypoxia, and radiologic abnormalities was observed. In contrast to five previously reported cases of dantrolene-associated eosinophilic pleural effusion (EPE), ours represents the first in which the patient was treated with steroids and suggests that steroid therapy may be of benefit in drug-related EPE.
Dantrolene (Dantrium) is a long-acting skeletal muscle relaxant useful in the management of spastic neurologic conditions such as quadriplegia, paraplegia, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy. While hepatotoxicity from dantrolene is well-described,[1,2] pulmonary toxicity is rare and not fully understood. Only five cases of eosinophilic pleural effusion (EPE) documented by thoracentesis and related to dantrolene therapy have been reported over a 15-year span.[3,4] We report a large EPE occurring in a patient receiving long-term dantrolene therapy. We also review etiologic considerations in EPE and propose a therapeutic intervention not previously reported.
South Med J. 2001;94(5) © 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Cite this: Eosinophilic Pleural Effusion Due to Dantrolene: Resolution With Steroid Therapy - Medscape - May 01, 2001.
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