Shiah IS, Lin JC, Shen JJ, Lu RB
ABSTRACT: A 21-year-old male with a history of methamphetamine abuse presented with an acute onset of incomprehensible speech 12 hours prior to admission. His unusual verbalization mimicked schizophrenic jargon without any other apparent neurological disturbances. Preliminary medial and neurological evaluations did not find the underlying disorder. The diagnosis of Wernicke's aphasia caused by intracerebral hemorrhage was made by computed tomographic scan of the brain. A subsequently acquired history revealed that the patient had inhaled methamphetamine before the stroke occurred. After 6 months of conservative treatment, he completely recovered without any sequelae. This rare case of Wernicke's aphasia resulting from intracerebral hemorrhage associated with methamphetamine inhalation demonstrates the importance of considering the life-threatening complication of drug abuse in any young adult presenting with acute paraphasic speech.