Colchicine poisoning by lethal doses of autumn crocus conservative treatment: A case report

Abstract

Background: The bulbs and tubers of autumn crocus, a member of the Liliaceae family, contain colchicine. Two or three cases of colchicine poisoning due to an accidental ingestion of autumn crocus are reported each year in Japan, and some cases have involved severe illness and even death. We report a case of colchicine poisoning in which the patient recovered after conservative treatment despite her ingestion of a lethal dose of colchicine.

Case: A 61-year-old Japanese woman had prepared stir-fried vegetables and with the other vegetables, she ingested a plant from her garden that had appeared to be lily root. She experienced nausea and vomiting that night. It was later discovered that the plant she had ingested was autumn crocus, and colchicine poisoning was suspected. The amount of colchicine that she had consumed was predicted to be more than lethal. She came to our hospital. We inserted a gastric tube, administered repeated doses of activated charcoal, and followed the patient carefully in the intensive care unit. During the patientʼs course, gastrointestinal symptoms and bone marrow suppression were observed, but all symptoms improved. The patient was discharged home on the 13th day.

Conclusion: We treated a patient with colchicine poisoning due to accidental ingestion of autumn crocus. Although the dose of colchicine ingested was estimated to be higher than a lethal dose, the patient was treated conservatively and showed a good course. We speculate that the cooking method used by the patient may have affected the outcome.