title: Ginkgo seed poisoning.
abstract: A 2-year-old girl presented with vomiting and diarrhea 7 hours after eating a large quantity of ginkgo seeds. She exhibited an afebrile convulsion 9 hours after ingestion. The serum concentration of 4-metoxypyridoxine was as high as 360 ng/mL. Although reported cases of ginkgo seed poisoning usually involve children who exhibit repetitive seizures that can be fatal, prompt administration of pyridoxal phosphate (2 mg/kg) may have prevented additional seizures. This is the first English-language case report measuring 4-metoxypyridoxine concentration during ginkgo seed poisoning. Awareness of the potential danger of overconsumption of this traditional food and its prompt treatment with pyridoxal phosphate may hasten recovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics Kyoto Min-i-ren Central Hospital Kyoto, Japan. yo-f@dab.hi-ho.ne.jp
authors.forename: Yo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kajiyama
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Manabe
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020441:Ginkgo biloba / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000506:poisoning; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000506:poisoning; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: C001737:4-methoxymethylpyridoxine; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate; D011736:Pyridoxine