Accidental choke cherry poisoning: early symptoms and neurological sequelae of an unusual case of cyanide intoxication

Springer Science and Business Media LLC - Tập 17 - Trang 233-235 - 1996
R. Pentore1,2, A. Venneri1,3, P. Nichelli1
1Clinica Neurologica Università di Modena, Modena, Italy
2Ospedale Regionale, Bolzano, Italy
3Department of Psychology, University of Aberdeen UK

Tóm tắt

We report the case of a 56-year-old woman who was accidentally poisoned when she ingested choke cherries whose pulp contained cyanide, and describe the acute clinical picture, the neurological sequelae and the neuroradiological findings. After recovery from coma, the patient showed signs of a parkinsonian syndrome, retrobulbar neuritis and sensory-motor neuropathy. MRI showed abnormal signal intensities involving the basal ganglia. Since no memory deficits were observed, we argue that the parkinsonian syndrome was caused by cyanide intoxication rather than by subcortical damage due to hypoxia.

Tài liệu tham khảo

Carella F., Grassi M.P., Savoiardo M. et al.:Dystonic-Parkinsonian syndrome after cyanide poisoning: clinical and MRI findings. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, 51: 1345–1348, 1988. Dreisbach R.H.:Handbook of Poisoning prevention, diagnosis and treatment (11th ed.) Los Altos CA.: Lange Med., 1993. Frohne, Pfaender, Giftplanzen:Ein handbuch fuer Apotheker, Aerzte, Toxikologen und Biologen. Stuttgart: Ed. Wissenschafliche Verlagsgesellschaft, 1987. Grandas F., Artieda J., Obeso J.A.,Clinical and CT scan findings in a case of cyanide intoxication. Mov. Disord. 4: 188–193, 1989. Naughton M.:Acute cyanide poisoning. Anaesth. Intensive Care, 2: 351–356, 1974. Pettersen J.C., Cohen S.D.:The effects of cyanide on brain mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase and respiratory activity. J. Appl. Toxicol., 13: 9–14, 1993. Poulton J.E.:Cyanogenic compounds in plants and their toxic effects. In: Keeler R.F. and Tu A.T. (Eds.). Handbook of natural toxins. Plants and fungal toxins. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1983. Rosenberg N.L., Myers J.A., Martin W.W.R.:Cyanide-induced parkinsonism: clinical, MRI, and 6-fluorodopa PET studies. Neurology, 39: 142–144, 1989. Shapira A.H.V., Cooper J.M., Dexter D. et al.:Mitochondrial complex I deficiency in Parkinson's disease. Lancet 1: 1269, 1989. Uitti R.J., Rajput A.H., Ashenhurst E.M., Rodzdilsky B.:Cyanide-induced Parkinsonism: A clinicopathologic report. Neurology, 35: 921–925, 1985.