Radiology Case Reports MR Findings of Alprazolam Injection into the Femoral Artery with Microembolization and

Intravenous drug abuse unfortunately remains an extremely common problem worldwide, accounting for innumerable medical issues ranging from the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other blood-borne diseases to skin necrosis to vasculitis to death [1]. We present a case of intraarterial injection of alprazolam into the right femoral artery resulting in microembolization, acute ischemia and rhabdomyolysis of the thigh, as documented by magnetic resonance (MR) and laboratory findings. Case Report A 29 year old intravenous (IV) drug user presented to the emergency department (ED) with complaints of acute excruciating right leg pain. On the morning of admission, the patient crushed three tablets of alprazolam 0.5 mg, filtered it through sterile water, and attempted to inject his right femoral vein but mistakenly injected the femoral artery, as evidenced by a reported large backflow of blood. The patient's right lower extremity then immediately turned col