A 23-year-old man has been pictured with a condition known as floppy head syndrome where his neck had become severely deformed and he required surgery in Iran
A man pictured with an extreme bend to his neck which drooped to one side had suffered the effects of heavy drug use. Doctors at l-Zahra University Hospital in Isfahan, Iran, have published the images to highlight the issue commonly known as dropped head syndrome.
The 23-year-old man developed the condition due to substance abuse over many years. Also known as floppy head syndrome, it is a condition where there is severe weakness to the neck muscles and so it is no longer able to support the head. It more often seen with patients suffering from neuromuscular disorders like motor neurone disease.
But it can develop due to drug addiction where amphetamines lead to a kyphotic neck position where the head falls limply downwards. The man also suffered from paraesthesia – or tingling and numbness in the arms – said medics.
He is understood to have suffered from depression and have a history of using amphetamines, heroin and opium. Dr Majid Rezvani, co-author of the case study, said: “We discovered that drug abuse contributed to the uncommon development of severe complicated cervical kyphosis [excessive rounding of the upper back].
“The drug does not have a direct effect on musculoskeletal changes,’ he explained. “Instead there is an indirect effect: when the patient uses the drug, they remain in a certain position for a long time, and over months this results in musculoskeletal changes that led to kyphoscoliosis.”
Doctors also noted that there was nothing to suggest that he would suffer from the neck condition before his drug addiction. He is reported to have been suffering with dropped head syndrome for 15 months where he tried to tackle it himself with herbal remedies before seeking professional help.
Medics then carried out extensive tests where it was found that his nerves and muscles were all fine. But a CT scan showed that he had a severely deformed spine.
Putting the patient under general anaesthetic, doctors saw that there was a slight improvement but in order to treat him they needed to perform surgery.
This saw surgeons remove deformed bone and use a lockage cage in order to support his head. The operation was a success and afterwards he suffered no neurological symptoms.
And a day after the surgery he was able to walk with the support of a hard collar which he needed for three months. He has also had rehab for his drug addiction.