Diffuse Myopathy Related to Meperidine Addiction in a Mother and Daughter

Abstract

THE most common medical complications of drug addiction are caused by sepsis, drug toxicity, and hypersensitivity reactions. Infection at the site of injection may result in skin abscesses, cellulitis, phlebitis, thickening and induration of the skin, and multiple scars. A recent report¹described the occurrence of ulcerating skin nodules which developed within hours after the subcutaneous injection of heroin and which were probably caused by local toxicity of the drug or of its diluents. Lesions of the muscles have not been reported among the medical complications of drug addiction^2,3but systematic studies of the muscles have not been performed in drug addicts. The present report describes two patients, a mother and daughter who were addicted to meperidine (Demerol) and had extensive induration of the skin and muscles. These changes were probably related to the subcutaneous and intramuscular administration of the drug, and to our knowledge have not