Citation

Lamb D, Roberts G. J. Clin. Pathol. 1972; 25(10): 876-881.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1972, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

4566961

PMCID

PMC477539

Abstract

The lungs of eight drug addicts dying as a consequence of their habit have been examined. All showed the presence of small amounts of talc emboli and five the presence of starch emboli. Talc was invariably associated with a marked foreign body reaction which was insignificant in association with starch. Animal experiments showed very rapid (90% in 24 hours) removal of maize starch emboli; such rapid removal in man would explain the lack of a foreign body response. Quantitation of the amount of starch present in lungs from two of the cases gave values of 1.5 and 5.2 g. The higher amount could have been a contributory factor in the sudden death of the addict. The amounts of talc seen were not sufficient to be of clinical significance.

Language: en