Pemoline Induced Acute Choreoathetosis: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Pemoline is an oxazolidine derivative that is structurally different from amphetamines and used in the treatment of attention deficit disorder. Pemoline has not been commonly associated in the literature as a cause of acute movement disorders. The following case describes two children acutely poisoned with pemoline who experienced profound choreoathetdi. Case Report: Two, 3-year-old male, identical twin siblings presented to the emergency department after found playing with a an empty bottle of pemoline originally containing 59 tablets. The children had a medical history significant for attention deficit disorder previously treated with methylphenidate without success. This was their first day of pemoline therapy. The choreoathetoid movements began 45 min to 1 h after ingestion. The children gave no history of prior movement disorders and there was no family history of movement disorders. The children received gastrointestinal decontamination and high doses of intravenous benzodiazepines in an attempt to control the choreoathetoid movements. Despite treatment, the children continued to have choreoathetosis for approximately 24 hours. Forty-eight hours after admission, the children appeared to be at their baseline and were discharged home. Conclusion: Pemoline associated movement disorder has been rarely reported in the acute toxicology literature. The possibility of choreoathetoid movements should be considered in patients presenting after pemoline overdose