Dilantin (Phenytoin) is one of the most well known antiepileptic drugs in the United States, with the The World Health Organization (WHO) considering it an essential medication for any healthcare system.

Even though the drug has been on the market since the 1950s, Dilantin has been associated with a number of side effects with cerebral atrophy being one of the most recent.

Cerebral atrophy refers the degeneration of the brain, which can be focal or effect the entire brain.

More specifically cerebral atrophy, or brain atrophy, occurs when the tissue of the brain deteriorates and loses neurological function.

Cerebral atrophy can be focal or generalized in patients, with the focal variation affecting only certain functions of the brain’s controls.

Overview of Dilantin Cerebral Atrophy

Recent research has suggested long-term use of Dilantin may cause the skull to shrink or thicken, resulting in cerebral atrophy.

This research study was published in 2007, which analyzed the alleged connection between Dilantin and cerebral atrophy. The researchers observed a female patient who had been suffering from epilepsy since she was a teenager, and was prescribed Dilantin to treat her condition.

At some point in her 30s she had injured her head, which led doctors to discover cerebral atrophy during a brain CT scan. The diagnostic images had shown her head had shrunk, but was not immediately diagnosed due to her lack of initial symptoms.

After investigating other possible cerebral atrophy causes, researchers concluded Dilantin the most likely instigator.

It is important to note that cerebral atrophy symptoms vary between patients, with patients most commonly experiencing problems with speaking and movement. Other cerebral atrophy symptoms include:

• Unsteady Movements and Tremors
• Slow, Unsteady, or Jerky Movements in the Arms or Legs
• Slow or Slurred speech
• Small Rapid Eye Movements (Nystagmus)

There are a number of cerebral atrophy causes, including traumatic brain injury, cerebral degenerative disease, and now Phenytoin toxicity.

Researchers analyzed other Dilantin and cerebral atrophy patients and found that over a third of long-term Dilantin patients had developed focal cerebral atrophy.

In another study published in the July 2003 issue of European Journal of Epilepsy, researchers examined patients who were long time users of Dilantin and other Phenytoin drugs. The study had analyzed 56 patients, and found cerebral atrophy in 20 patients.

Based on the 2003 study, researchers found a potential link between cerebral atrophy causes and long-term Phenytoin exposure. While researchers have found cerebral atrophy cases in short term cases well, researchers state that longer terms of Pheytoin exposure may increase the chances of cerebral atrophy.

While cerebral atrophy can be managed, and reversed in some cases, during early stages there is no cure for this condition.

With Dilantin being such a popular medication, the alleged correlation is fairly alarming. Even though this condition is very serious, cerebral atrophy is not currently mentioned on Dilantin’s warning label.

This has spurred a number of Dilantin patients who suffered cerebral atrophy to file legal action against the drug manufacturer.

Potential claimants should contact a specialized lawyer, to determine whether or not they have a Dilantin cerebral atrophy.