Forensic
Science International
Volume
106, Issue 3 , 20 December 1999, Pages 191-200
doi:10.1016/S0379-0738(99)00191-7
Copyright
© 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Case report
Colchicine poisoning by accidental ingestion of meadow saffron (Colchicum
autumnale): pathological and medicolegal aspects
Michael Klintschar, , a,
Christine Beham-Schmidtb,
Herbert Radnerb,
Gerald Henninga
and Peter Rolla
a Institute of Legal Medicine,
University Graz, Universitätsplatz 4, A8010 Graz, Austria
b Institute of Pathology, University Graz,
Auenbruggerplatz 25, A8036 Graz, Austria
Received 1 April 1999; accepted
5 October 1999. Available online 14 December 1999.
Abstract
Although intoxications with colchicine, the alkaloid of Colchicum
autumnale (meadow saffron), are well known, in most cases the intoxications
are evoked by oral or parenteral preparations traditionally used as medication
against gout. The accidental ingestion of Colchicum autumnale, on the
other hand, is a rare event and has to our knowledge only twice been described
in detail. We report a further case in which two persons confused this highly
poisonous plant with wild garlic (Allium ursinum), a popular spice in the
Central European cuisine. While one person merely complained about a 3-day
episode of nausea, vomiting and watery diarrhea, the second person died of
multi-organ system derangements 48 h after the ingestion of the colchicum
leaves. At autopsy hemorrhagic lung oedema, hypocellular bonemarrow,
centrilobular fatty necrosis of the liver and necrosis of the proximal
convoluted tubuli of the kidneys were observed. A colchicine concentration of
7.5 g/ml was
found in the bile whereas no substance was detected in the postmortem blood.
Author Keywords: Colchicine; Colchicum autumnale; Plant
poisoning; Toxicology; Pathology