Late diagnosis of severe colchicine intoxication.
A 4-year-old Turkish girl was referred to our hospital with the findings of encephalopathy and pancytopenia. She had a history of severe abdominal cramps and gastrointestinal bleeding. A confused state, muscle pain and weakness, erythema-bullous and erythema-nodosum-like skin lesions, and alopecia were observed at her hospitalization. All of these symptoms resolved on follow-up. On laboratory investigation severe thrombocytopenia and leukopenia, mild anemia, a moderate increase in aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels were detected. After reevaluating her medical history, it was learned that she had accidentally taken 1.3 to 1.5 mg/kg of colchicine 3 to 4 days before her first hospitalization. The possibility of misdiagnosis of colchicine intoxication should be borne in mind, and pediatricians must be aware of its toxic effects, especially in areas where patients with familial Mediterranean fever are present.
Güven
Ayfer Gür
AG
Department of Pediatrics, Akdeniz University Medical Faculty, 07070 Antalya, Turkey. gur@med.akdeniz.edu.tr
Bahat
Elif
E
Akman
Sema
S
Artan
Reha
R
Erol
Meltem
M
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003078:Colchicine / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000175:diagnosis; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000175:diagnosis; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D003078:Colchicine