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Paraquat myopathy: report on two suicide cases
N Tabata1, M Morita, S Mimasaka
1Department of Legal Medicine, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Japan.
Forensic Science International
|June 5, 1999
Summary
Old paraquat ingestion can cause severe skeletal muscle damage, particularly affecting slow-twitch muscle fibers. Elevated creatine kinase (CK) levels may indicate paraquat-induced myopathy in prolonged poisoning cases.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Neurology
- Pathology
Background:
- Paraquat poisoning is a severe condition with high mortality.
- Skeletal muscle involvement is a less-studied complication of paraquat toxicity.
Observation:
- Two suicide cases involving old paraquat ingestion were analyzed.
- One patient, who died on day 14, exhibited significant skeletal muscle degeneration.
- Immunohistochemical analysis using SERCA antibodies identified type 1 (slow-twitch) muscle fibers as the most affected.
Findings:
- The degenerated muscle fibers were predominantly type 1.
- A sharp increase in plasma creatine kinase (CK) levels was observed on day 5 in the affected patient.
- Skeletal muscle damage is presumed to occur during the period of prolonged paraquat retention in tissues.
Implications:
- Paraquat-induced myopathy can develop in cases of prolonged paraquat poisoning.
- Monitoring plasma CK levels is a valuable diagnostic tool for detecting skeletal muscle damage in paraquat poisoning.
- Understanding the specific fiber type vulnerability may inform future treatment strategies.