Abstract
The acute toxicity of paraphenylenediamine (PPD) has been associated with several histopathological changes. In humans, acute PPD poisoning is known to cause rhabdomyolisis and particularly myocardial lysis. However, its toxicity for the fetus has never been reported in the literature. We report a case of myocardial lysis in a fetus expelled by a 22-year-old mother after apparent ingestion of an unknown amount of PPD. The patient was admitted to our intensive care unit with acute onset of respiratory distress and rhabdomyolysis. The pelvic ultrasonography on admission showed a normally progressing pregnancy of 23-24 weeks. On day 9 post-ingestion, the patient spontaneously expelled a non-viable fetus. The fetal examination did not show any external or macroscopic abnormalities. However, the histopathological exam showed an important heart and lung congestion. There was also some interstitial edema and inflammation at the base of the lingua, in addition to a chorionic villus thrombosis and abruptio placentae. The histopathology of the myocardium showed lysis of the cardiac muscle. This observation suggests that the PPD was most likely responsible for the myocardial injury in the fetus.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
