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Teen ecstasy use is increasing in some areas of Canada and the United States, and recently this type of drug abuse has been linked to a rare medical condition. A case has been uncovered that links teen ecstasy use with a rare medical condition called posterior spinal artery aneurysm. The teen in question admitted to using ecstasy and the drug abuse caused a bulge in the artery of the spinal cord. This rare medical condition can be fatal, and this is the first time that teen ecstasy use has been linked with this rare medical condition in teenagers. The drug abuse caused the artery wall in the spinal cord to bulge out and become weak, and the aneurysm can rupture and cause death or serious permanent physical damage.

This recent finding does not mean that every case of teen ecstasy use will result in this rare medical condition, but this type of drug abuse can be very dangerous or even deadly in any age group. So far in the USA there have been 12 verified cases of this rare medical condition and all of these cases had complications that could include bleeding on the brain or spinal cord and impairment of the spinal cord function or blood flow. Studies have shown that teen ecstasy use can cause a big increase in blood pressure, and this factor alone can weaken the walls of the arteries and blood vessels. The recently discovered case has resulted in a published study online in the July 3 edition of the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery.