title: Plasma exchange as treatment for Lawsone (henna) intoxication.
abstract: Lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) is the active ingredient of Lawsonia alba, whose crushed leaves are known as henna, used as a hair and skin dye in many parts of the world. Accidental or deliberate ingestion of Lawsone has a high mortality rate (up to 31%) owing to rhabdomyolysis and renal failure. The authors report the first successful use of plasmapheresis as an adjunct to the treatment of these symptoms in a 69-year-old man who suffered severe symptoms of Lawsone poisoning due to inadvertent ingestion. Although most cases reported in the literature have been treated using supportive techniques, including hemodialysis, the high mortality despite these measures suggests that prompt plasma exchange may be a lifesaving technique for this syndrome.
authors: Plasmapheresis Unit, Department of Hematology, Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel. rund@cc.huji.ac.il
authors: Deborah
authors: D
authors: Rund
authors: Tova
authors: T
authors: Schaap
authors: Nael
authors: N
authors: Da'as
authors: Dina
authors: D
authors: Ben Yehuda
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Kalish
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006202:Hair Dyes / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000506:poisoning*; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D010956:Plasmapheresis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006202:Hair Dyes; D009285:Naphthoquinones; C005090:lawsone