2025 Volume 38 Issue 3 Pages 280-284
Cerbera odollam, commonly known as the “suicide tree”, is a highly cardiotoxic plant. In Japan, reports of poisoning are rare, and public awareness is limited. We report a case of a 34-year-old woman who ingested 10 seeds of C. odollam in a suicide attempt but avoided a fatal outcome after presenting with diverse electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities.
The patient experienced nausea 1.5 hours after ingestion and was brought to the emergency department 21 hours later. On arrival, her ECG revealed various abnormalities, including atrioventricular block, bradycardia, and tachycardia. She was admitted to the intensive care unit for respiratory, circulatory, and electrolyte management to prevent symptom progression. After 35 hours, her ECG spontaneously returned to sinus rhythm.
Although rare, poisoning from C. odollam is highly dangerous and potentially life-threatening. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis when evaluating patients with diverse ECG abnormalities.
