Revista de práctica general

Synthetic Cannabinoids and Dysphonia: A Case Report

Abstract

Raythatha , Avani BS , Asim Shah , Veronica Tucciand Nidal Moukadda

Synthetic cannabinoids (SC) have been increasing in popularity throughout the past decade, and are now mainstream drugs of abuse. Undetectable by many urine drug screens, SC are a heterogeneous group of chemicals with various documented side effects including myocardial infarctions, tachycardia, agitation, psychosis, nausea, and vomiting. Methods: In this case report, we present a 38 year-old female with dysphonia secondary to SC. Our patient developed dysphonia after 2.5 years of regular SC use. She was thoroughly evaluated by her primary care physician and referred to both, otorhinolaryngology and pulmonology, with an exhaustively negative workup. Her dysphonia persisted for 13 months and only improved after she abstained from using SC. Conclusions and Significance: We could find no previous cases of dysphonia or hoarseness attributed t SC use/ abuse in the literature and is yet another kind of health sequelae frontline providers should look for in chronic users of SC. The previously unrecognized relationship between SC and dysphonia demonstrates our limited understanding of the chemicals’ adverse effects. Just as nicotine affects the larynx and causes dysphonia and laryngeal carcinoma, this case also raises the question of whether the chemical composition of SC affects the larynx in the same way and its use leads to an increased risk of laryngeal cancer for users/abusers