ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 7

Death Following Colchicine Poisoning
Ruszkiewicz, AR
Chief Toxicologist, Pathologist, and Toxicologist, Victorian Institute of Forensic Pathology, Victoria

McIntyre, IM
Chief Toxicologist, Pathologist, and Toxicologist, Victorian Institute of Forensic Pathology, Victoria

Crump, K
Chief Toxicologist, Pathologist, and Toxicologist, Victorian Institute of Forensic Pathology, Victoria

Drummer, OH
Assistant Director (Scientific Services), Honorary Assistant Professor in Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Victoria

(Received 21 April 1993; accepted 1 June 1993)

Abstract

A 45-year-old male was admitted to hospital after 2 to 3 days of vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea following an apparent overdose of colchicine tablets. During hospitalization his white blood cell count fell dramatically. At death, 33 h following initial hospitalization, pleural effusion with bilateral bronchopneumonia was evident, together with numerous bacterial colonies and marked hypocellularity of bone marrow and reduced megakaryocytes, erythroid, and myeloid cells. The most striking histological findings were numerous metaphasic mitotic figures in gastric and small bowel epithelia. Colchicine was detected, confirmed by high pressure liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection, and quantitated in antemortem plasma collected 3.3 h following hospitalization and in postmortem blood and bile. Colchicine was not detected in liver, vitreous humor, or stomach contents.

Keywords:
pathology and biology, poisoning, colchicine

Paper ID: JFS13598J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS13598J
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