Citation

Erden A, Esmeray K, Karagöz H, Karahan S, Gümüşçü HH, Başak M, Cetinkaya A, Avcı D, Poyrazoğlu OK. Int. Med. Case Rep. J. 2013; 6: 85-90.

Affiliation

Internal Medicine Department, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Dove Press)

DOI

10.2147/IMCRJ.S53773

PMID

24294010

PMCID

PMC3839837

Abstract

It is estimated that there are over 5,000 species of mushrooms worldwide. Some of them are edible and some are poisonous due to containing significant toxins. In more than 95% of mushroom toxicity cases, poisoning occurs as a result of misidentification of the mushroom by an amateur mushroom hunter. The severity of mushroom poisoning may vary, depending on the geographic location where the mushroom is grown, growth conditions, the amount of toxin delivered, and the genetic characteristics of the mushroom. Amanita phalloides is the most common and fatal cause of mushroom poisoning. This mushroom contains amanitins, which are powerful hepatotoxins that inhibit RNA polymerase II in liver. Mushroom poisoning is a relatively rare cause of acute liver failure. A 63-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency room with weakness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. He reported ingesting several wild mushrooms about 36 hours earlier. In this article we report a case of lethal Amanita phalloides intoxication from stored mushrooms.

Language: en