ABSTRACT
We report a 52 years old male admitted for fever lasting one month, dry cough, headache and malaise. Initial laboratory work up showed an AST of 172 U/l, and ALT of 252 U/l, a GGT of 353 U/l and alkaline phosphatases of 952 U/l. An abdominal CAT scan disclosed a mild hepatosplenomegaly. A liver biopsy showed a granulomatous hepatitis. During the evolution, the patient had a left testicle swelling with darkening of the surrounding skin. A testicular ultrasound showed a bilateral orchiepidydimitis. The patient was treated with non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and fever subsided. Three months later, these drugs were discontinued and the patient remained asymptomatic and with normal laboratory values until 36 months of follow up
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Orchitis , Epididymitis , Exanthema , Fever of Unknown Origin , Hepatitis , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-SteroidalABSTRACT
The ingestion of iron-containing products is a potential toxicological emergency. It is a leading cause of pediatric unintentional ingestion fatalities because some iron-containing compounds are readily available (vitamin mixtures, iron pills). Among adults, it has been described as accidental overdoses (mainly in pregnancy) and as suicidal attempts. We report a 42 years old woman, admitted due to the intentional ingestion of iron pills with suicidal purposes. A plain abdominal X ray showed at least 20 pills in the gastric fundus and antrum. She was successfully treated with intravenous desferroxamine chelation. Plain abdominal X ray examination can be very useful in the diagnosis of acute iron poisoning