Acute myoglobinuria as a fatal complication of heroin addiction.
A fatal case of myoglobinuria complicating heroin addiction is described. Clinically the patient had no overt symptoms of rhabdomyolysis. Pathologists should be alerted to this rare complication in heroin addicts who die of no apparent cause. The antimyoglobin immunoperoxidase technique is useful in confirming the diagnosis.
Chan
Y F
YF
Clinical Pathology Unit, Princess Margaret Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Wong
P K
PK
Chow
T C
TC
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009212:Myoglobinuria / Q000209:etiology*; D012206:Rhabdomyolysis / Q000209:etiology*