Aphasia, apraxia and neurogenic stuttering as complications of metrizamide myelography (Speech deficits following myelography)

Abstract

Aphasia following metrizamide myelography has been reported infrequently. During a seven-month period, we examined two patients who developed Broca's aphasia, apraxia of speech, oral-buccal-facial apraxia and neurogenic stuttering after intrathecal metrizamide administration. In each case, focal neurologic deficits were accompanied by clinical, electroencephalographic and radiologic signs of generalized neurologic disease. Serial speech and language evaluations initially revealed severe deficits that were largely resolved by the third day post-myelography. Out-patient follow-up examinations demonstrated persistence of mild speech and language abnormalities in each case. Our findings suggest that metrizamide may cause longlasting neurologic dysfunction.