Gloriosa Superba Poisoning Mimicking an Acute Infection: A Case Report
September 2015
in “
BMC pharmacology & toxicology
”
Studysummary This case report discusses a young man's severe febrile illness mimicking leptospirosis or dengue, ultimately suggesting Gloriosa superba poisoning after hair loss led to the correct diagnosis. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
A 26-year-old male exhibited symptoms resembling severe tropical infections, but his condition deteriorated with pancytopenia and total alopecia by day 14, leading to the diagnosis of Gloriosa superba poisoning, confirmed as self-harm. GSb poisoning, due to toxic alkaloids like colchicine, can cause severe multi-organ toxicity and rapid hair loss, and should be considered by clinicians in tropical regions for similar unexplained cases.
