title: Accidental fatal ingestion of colchicine-containing leaves--toxicological and histological findings.
abstract: A 65 year old woman had collected some plant leaves, cooked them in water and ate this mash with honey. A few hours after consumption first symptoms of intoxication like sickness, stomach aches and diarrhoea appeared. Her condition deteriorated, she was admitted to hospital, became comatose and finally died due to a multiorgan failure. The plants she had collected were identified as autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale). Colchicine-concentrations detected in blood samples (HPLC/DAD) taken in hospital approximately 24 h after ingestion were 50 microg/l, in post-mortem femoral blood 65 microg/l colchicine were found (toxic range: >24 microg/l). Also all tested organs contained equally high colchicine levels. Histological examination of the liver showed diffuse vacuolization in the cytoplasma of hepatocytes. Possibly due to the relatively short survival time, only isolated mitotic structures were found within the epithelium of the colon.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Giessen, Frankfurter Str. 58, 35392 Giessen, Germany. heike.wollersen@forens.med.uni-giessen.de
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wollersen
authors.forename: Freidoon
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Erdmann
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Risse
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dettmeyer
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents; D000368:Aged; D003078:Colchicine / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D003079:Colchicum / Q000506:poisoning*; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000139:chemically induced; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000473:pathology; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003078:Colchicine