A case of Gloriosa superba poisoning

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ABSTRACT

Gloriosa superba (GSb), or Glory Lily, is not an uncommon plant found in Sri Lanka. Every part of the plant is poisonous, especially the rhizome. It contains mainly colchicine and gloriocine which are toxic alkaloids. Fatalities following ingestion are rarely reported with current medical management. A 37-year-old male, with history of cannabis dependence and heroin abuse, ingested one and half of GSb rhizomes following a family dispute, witnessed by his family. He was hospitalized nearly eighteen hours later and he developed severe gastro-enteritis associated with nausea and vomiting. The patient’s presenting condition necessitated intensive care management for severe liver and renal failure. On the second day following admission he underwent haemodialysis and one cycle of plasma paresis but he ultimately succumbed due to unresponsive cardiac failure with arrhythmia. Subsequent autopsy examination revealed inflamed stomach and small intestinal mucosa with erosions, severe diffuse pulmonary haemorrhages with oedema, necrosis of liver and myocardium, and acute tubular necrosis. Multi-organ failure due to ingestion of GSb attributed to his death and manner of death was concluded as suicide following an inquest. This case report highlights the severity of effects of GSb poisoning including the effects on myocardium which is rarely encountered in clinical practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Forensic toxicology
• Gloriosa superba
• poisoning
• Sri Lanka
• suicide

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).