ABSTRACT
Four cases of severe Lepiota poisoning, including three which developed toxic fulminant hepatitis treated by orthotopic hepatic transplantation, are reported here. The toxicity of the Lepiota is discussed as well as the indications for hepatic transplantation in poisonings due to amatoxin-containing mushrooms.
Subject(s)
Amanitins/poisoning , Liver Failure/surgery , Liver Transplantation , Mushroom Poisoning/therapy , Adult , Child , Electroencephalography , Female , Humans , Liver Failure/etiology , Male , Mushroom Poisoning/complications , Mushroom Poisoning/diagnosisABSTRACT
Ce premier inventaire; non exhaustif; des champignons superieurs utilises en pharmacopee traditionnelle en Afrique de l'Ouest; nous revele une richesse insoupconnee pour une region aride et consideree comme ayant une flore mycologique pauvre. Or les populations locales n'ont pas neglige l'apport des champignons dans la pharmacopee; leur usage semblant meme plus important que dans les pharmacopees occidentales qui; a de rares exceptions; ont neglige les champignons; sauf bien entendu les champignons inferieurs generateurs d'antibiotiques (bezanger-beauquesne; 1983). Il y aurait peut-etre interet a approfondir les recherches de ce cote la; nen particulier l'analyse chimique; qui ne devrait pas decevoir; en raison de la richesse previsible des champignons superieurs en molecules d'interet biologique
Subject(s)
Fungi , Medicine , PharmacopoeiaABSTRACT
Ocular injuries by vesicatory insects appear exceptional and the authors have not found any reports in the literature. Cantharidine, with toxicity comparable to that of mustard gas, can be present in many species of coleoptera. It results in progressive corneal necrosis ending in ocular perforation in 30 days. The necrotic process persists with long duration because this material is not broken down. It provokes deep ocular injuries (cristalline lens). The inflammatory reaction is severe with acute refractory hypertension. There exists no antidote, only prevention is useful. Emergency penetrating keratoplasty with anterior chamber lavage should help eliminate the toxin. In daily practice, the authors observe similar but less serious injuries; they think that they could be due to dust rich in vesicatory insect debris or their secretions.