Loading...
An unusual case of unilateral foot drop and deep vein thrombosis following electroconvulsive therapy in a middle-aged patient with depression
Lawal, Abimbola R. Pilkington, Lily H.
Lawal, Abimbola R.
Pilkington, Lily H.
Abstract
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a well-known, generally safe, and effective treatment modality for severe mental health disorders, including catatonic depression, after other forms of approved treatments have failed. Like most procedures, ECT is known to have some adverse effects, such as transient headaches and transient amnesia; however, neurological complications would be classed as exceptionally rare, especially with the modified ECT.
We report the case of a 54-year-old woman with a recurrent depressive disorder with catatonic features who presented with low mood, reduced energy levels, loss of appetite with refusal of oral intake, intense suicidal ideation and attempts, mutism, psychomotor retardation, and eventual lack of movement.
She was initially stabilized on the medical ward and commenced ECT. After the fourth session, there was an appreciable improvement in her mood and activity levels, and then she complained of weakness in her right foot, which was later confirmed clinically to be a right-sided foot drop.
Despite having had two previous sessions of ECT in past years, this was the first time she was experiencing such a symptom following the procedure. ECT was discontinued, and she is being managed conservatively with leg splints by the trauma and orthopedics team and physiotherapists.
A few days following the sudden foot drop, she complained of swelling in her right ankle and pain in her right calf. Upon examination and investigation, a deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was discovered in the right leg. This is the second time she has had DVT following a catatonic depressive disorder, and she is being managed by the anticoagulation team.
This case highlights an extremely rare but possible complication of ECT, which is foot drop, as there are similar cases highlighted in other literature. Although a direct link between ECT and foot drop and/or DVT has not been established, it is important to explore possible reasons why patients may be at risk of these two conditions.
MIDER Authors
Affiliations
Black Country Healthcar NHS Foundation Trust; Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust; Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust; Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust;
Citations
Altmetric:
Date
2025-12-17
Type
Article
Collections
Files
Loading...
Main Article
Adobe PDF, 5.3 MB
Citation
Ogunjobi O, Lawal A R, Patel N, et al. (December 17, 2025) An Unusual Case of Unilateral Foot Drop and Deep Vein Thrombosis Following Electroconvulsive Therapy in a Middle-Aged Patient With Depression. Cureus 17(12): e99436. doi:10.7759/cureus.99436
Journal / Source Title
DOI
PMID
Publisher
Publisher’s URL
Publisher’s statement
How can I publish my work open access?
As the author of a research article or book, you have the ability to ensure that your research can be accessed and used by the widest possible audience. Springer Nature supports immediate gold OA as the most open, least restrictive form of OA: authors can choose to publish their research article in a fully OA journal, a hybrid or transformative journal, or as an OA book or OA chapter.
Alternatively, where articles, books or chapters are published via the subscription route, Springer Nature allows authors to archive the accepted version of their manuscript on their own personal website or their funder’s or institution’s repository, for public release after an embargo period (green OA). Find out more.
Why should I publish OA?
Increased citation and usage: Studies have shown that open access articles are viewed and cited more often than articles behind a paywall.
Wider collaboration: Open access publications and data enable researchers to carry out collaborative research on a global scale.
Greater public engagement: Content is available to those who can't access subscription content. Faster impact: With Creative Commons licences, researchers are empowered to build on existing research quickly.
Increased interdisciplinary conversation: Open access journals that cross multiple disciplines help researchers connect more easily and provide greater visibility of their research. Compliance with open access mandates: Open access journals and books comply with major funding policies internationally.
What are Creative Commons licences?
Open access works published by Springer Nature are published under Creative Commons licences. These provide an industry-standard framework to support re-use of OA material. Please see Springer Nature’s guide to licensing, copyright and author rights for journal articles and books and chapters for further information.
How do I pay for open access?
As costs are involved in every stage of the publication process, authors are asked to pay an open access fee in order for their article to be published open access under a creative commons license. Springer Nature offers a free open access support service to make it easier for our authors to discover and apply for funding to cover article processing charges (APCs) and/or book processing charges (BPCs). Find out more.