Levamisole-Induced Occlusive Necrotizing Vasculitis of the Ears After Use of Cocaine Contaminated with Levamisole

• DOI: 10.1007/s13181-010-0097-3
• Publication Date: 2010-06-11T13:59:37Z
• Authors: Jennie A. Buchanan; Jody A. Vogel; Aaron M. Eberhardt
• Keywords: Adult; Anthelmintics; Male; Vasculitis; Illicit Drugs; Veterinary Drugs; Skin Diseases, Vascular; 3. Good health; Necrosis; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Cocaine; Levamisole; Humans; Ear, External; Drug Contamination; Skin

Based on the best available data, approximately 2.1 million Americans use illicit cocaine each month; for the last several months, 30% of that cocaine has been "cut" with a veterinary pharmaceutical, levamisole. Levamisole can cause agranulocytosis, leaving patients susceptible to fulminate and opportunistic infections and also can cause a debilitating cutaneous necrotizing vasculitis. In this manuscript, we describe a case and provide an image of levamisole-induced necrotizing vasculitis of the ears.