Butane Intoxication: A Case Report with Brain Images Resembling Wernicke Encephalopathy and a Delayed Sequela of Slow Orthostatic Tremor

Butane is a colorless and inflammable gas widely available in daily lives, such as liquefied petroleum gas and fuels for cigarette lighters and camping stoves. It could be misused for recreational purposes, which occasionally leads to mortality and morbidity, including symptoms presumably due to hyp...

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Main Authors: Ting-Yi Tseng, Vai-Hong Fong, Kuei-Hong Kuo, Chien-Tai Hong, Tzu-Hsien Lai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2025-04-01
Series:Acta Neurologica Taiwanica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/ANT.ANT_113_0027
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author Ting-Yi Tseng
Vai-Hong Fong
Kuei-Hong Kuo
Chien-Tai Hong
Tzu-Hsien Lai
author_facet Ting-Yi Tseng
Vai-Hong Fong
Kuei-Hong Kuo
Chien-Tai Hong
Tzu-Hsien Lai
author_sort Ting-Yi Tseng
collection DOAJ
description Butane is a colorless and inflammable gas widely available in daily lives, such as liquefied petroleum gas and fuels for cigarette lighters and camping stoves. It could be misused for recreational purposes, which occasionally leads to mortality and morbidity, including symptoms presumably due to hypoxic encephalopathy. A 34-year-old male with a butane abuse history for 6 years presented with fever, change in consciousness, and seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed hyperintensity lesions in the bilateral medial thalamus, hypothalamus, infundibular wall, and periaqueductal gray, typical for Wernicke encephalopathy. After conservative treatment, he was discharged with the sequelae of mental impairment and Parkinsonism. Being abstained from butane for about 1 month, he had a new onset of gait disturbance with slow orthostatic tremor in the lower limbs. Butane encephalopathy may present with brain images typical of Wernicke encephalopathy and a clinical course of delayed deterioration, resembling that of hypoxic encephalopathy.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1028-768X
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publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Acta Neurologica Taiwanica
spelling doaj-art-4f537f8571d34eef8e98f5a8148be52b2025-08-20T03:29:23ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsActa Neurologica Taiwanica1028-768X2025-04-0134210911210.4103/ANT.ANT_113_0027Butane Intoxication: A Case Report with Brain Images Resembling Wernicke Encephalopathy and a Delayed Sequela of Slow Orthostatic TremorTing-Yi TsengVai-Hong FongKuei-Hong KuoChien-Tai HongTzu-Hsien LaiButane is a colorless and inflammable gas widely available in daily lives, such as liquefied petroleum gas and fuels for cigarette lighters and camping stoves. It could be misused for recreational purposes, which occasionally leads to mortality and morbidity, including symptoms presumably due to hypoxic encephalopathy. A 34-year-old male with a butane abuse history for 6 years presented with fever, change in consciousness, and seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed hyperintensity lesions in the bilateral medial thalamus, hypothalamus, infundibular wall, and periaqueductal gray, typical for Wernicke encephalopathy. After conservative treatment, he was discharged with the sequelae of mental impairment and Parkinsonism. Being abstained from butane for about 1 month, he had a new onset of gait disturbance with slow orthostatic tremor in the lower limbs. Butane encephalopathy may present with brain images typical of Wernicke encephalopathy and a clinical course of delayed deterioration, resembling that of hypoxic encephalopathy.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/ANT.ANT_113_0027butanecase reportorthostatic tremorparkinsonismseizurewernicke encephalopathy
spellingShingle Ting-Yi Tseng
Vai-Hong Fong
Kuei-Hong Kuo
Chien-Tai Hong
Tzu-Hsien Lai
Butane Intoxication: A Case Report with Brain Images Resembling Wernicke Encephalopathy and a Delayed Sequela of Slow Orthostatic Tremor
Acta Neurologica Taiwanica
butane
case report
orthostatic tremor
parkinsonism
seizure
wernicke encephalopathy
title Butane Intoxication: A Case Report with Brain Images Resembling Wernicke Encephalopathy and a Delayed Sequela of Slow Orthostatic Tremor
title_full Butane Intoxication: A Case Report with Brain Images Resembling Wernicke Encephalopathy and a Delayed Sequela of Slow Orthostatic Tremor
title_fullStr Butane Intoxication: A Case Report with Brain Images Resembling Wernicke Encephalopathy and a Delayed Sequela of Slow Orthostatic Tremor
title_full_unstemmed Butane Intoxication: A Case Report with Brain Images Resembling Wernicke Encephalopathy and a Delayed Sequela of Slow Orthostatic Tremor
title_short Butane Intoxication: A Case Report with Brain Images Resembling Wernicke Encephalopathy and a Delayed Sequela of Slow Orthostatic Tremor
title_sort butane intoxication a case report with brain images resembling wernicke encephalopathy and a delayed sequela of slow orthostatic tremor
topic butane
case report
orthostatic tremor
parkinsonism
seizure
wernicke encephalopathy
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/ANT.ANT_113_0027
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AT vaihongfong butaneintoxicationacasereportwithbrainimagesresemblingwernickeencephalopathyandadelayedsequelaofsloworthostatictremor
AT kueihongkuo butaneintoxicationacasereportwithbrainimagesresemblingwernickeencephalopathyandadelayedsequelaofsloworthostatictremor
AT chientaihong butaneintoxicationacasereportwithbrainimagesresemblingwernickeencephalopathyandadelayedsequelaofsloworthostatictremor
AT tzuhsienlai butaneintoxicationacasereportwithbrainimagesresemblingwernickeencephalopathyandadelayedsequelaofsloworthostatictremor