Podophyllum toxicity: case report and literature review. 1979

L M Moher, and S A Maurer

A case is reported of apparent podophyllum toxicity. The patient was a 17-year-old female Indian who had received some 3 to 8 cc of a 20 percent mixture of podophyllum resin in compound tincture of benzoin (approximately equal to 0.4 gm of podophylotoxin) as an application to her vulvar condylomata. She returned to the hospital 20 hours after application in a comatose state. On examination she demonstrated severe toxicity including bone marrow, liver, and central nervous system. She required a charcoal hemoperfusion at the University of Colorado, and six months after the event has several neurologic and physiologic sequelae. Podophyllum is a potentially severely toxic drug. Great care must be taken when treating patients with this drug. A large mass of condylomata or the status of pregnancy should be relative contraindications to the use of podophyllum.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008286 Malabsorption Syndromes General term for a group of MALNUTRITION syndromes caused by failure of normal INTESTINAL ABSORPTION of nutrients. Malabsorption Syndrome,Syndrome, Malabsorption,Syndromes, Malabsorption
D011033 Podophyllin Caustic extract from the roots of Podophyllum peltatum and P. emodi. It contains PODOPHYLLOTOXIN and its congeners and is very irritating to mucous membranes and skin. Podophyllin is a violent purgative that may cause CNS damage and teratogenesis. It is used as a paint for warts, skin neoplasms, and senile keratoses. Podophyllum Resin,Resin, Podophyllum
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D003218 Condylomata Acuminata Sexually transmitted form of anogenital warty growth caused by the human papillomaviruses. Genital Warts,Venereal Warts,Warts, Genital,Warts, Venereal,Genital Wart,Venereal Wart,Wart, Genital,Wart, Venereal
D005260 Female Females
D006464 Hemoperfusion Removal of toxins or metabolites from the circulation by the passing of blood, within a suitable extracorporeal circuit, over semipermeable microcapsules containing adsorbents (e.g., activated charcoal) or enzymes, other enzyme preparations (e.g., gel-entrapped microsomes, membrane-free enzymes bound to artificial carriers), or other adsorbents (e.g., various resins, albumin-conjugated agarose). Hemosorption,Hemoperfusions,Hemosorptions
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D014846 Vulvar Neoplasms Tumors or cancer of the VULVA. Cancer of Vulva,Vulvar Cancer,Cancer of the Vulva,Neoplasms, Vulvar,Vulva Cancer,Vulva Neoplasms,Cancer, Vulva,Cancer, Vulvar,Cancers, Vulva,Cancers, Vulvar,Neoplasm, Vulva,Neoplasm, Vulvar,Neoplasms, Vulva,Vulva Cancers,Vulva Neoplasm,Vulvar Cancers,Vulvar Neoplasm

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