Cardiotoxicity After Synthetic Cathinone Use: Two Cases, A Case Series and Scoping Review

Abstract

The cardiotoxic effects of synthetic cathinones remain largely unknown. In this study, we present two cases, a case series and a scoping review, to explore synthetic cathinone associated cardiotoxicity. Case 1 involved a 28-year-old male with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction after ingesting a substance containing 4-methylmethcathinone (4-MMC), 3-methylmethcathinon (3-MMC), and methcathinone. Case 2 involved a 49-year-old male with ventricular fibrillation after 4-methylmethcathinone ingestion, who was diagnosed with severe three-vessel disease. A retrospective analysis was performed on self-reported synthetic cathinone poisonings reported to the Dutch Poisons Information Centre from 2012 to 2022. A total of 222 mono-intoxications with cardiotoxicity were included, mostly involving 3-methylmethcathinon (63%). Often tachycardia, hypertension, palpitations, and chest pain were reported. A comprehensive literature search was performed on PubMed to identify the studies reporting cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, cardiac inflammation, cardiomyopathy, and life-threatening arrhythmias following synthetic cathinone use. A total of 30 articles reporting 40 cases were included. The reported complications included cardiac arrest (n = 28), ventricular tachycardia (n = 4), supraventricular tachycardia (n = 1), ST-elevation myocardial infarction (n = 2), non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (n = 2), cardiomyopathy (n = 1), and myocarditis (n = 2). A total of ten different associated synthetic cathinones were identified. Cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, and ventricular arrhythmias have been reported following the use of synthetic cathinones, underscoring the importance of obtaining a detailed recreational drug use history from patients presenting with syncope, chest pain, or palpitations.