[Paraquat poisoning: clinical and anatomopathologic aspects in 3 cases]

3 cases of suicide due to ingestion of 150, 200 and 4 gr. of paraquat, respectively, are presented. Two of them were brothers and agricultural industrialists, the other one was a farmer. The first two cases died 16 and 10 hours after intake. The farmer died 21 days after ingestion. All of them had progressive hypoxemia and renal failure the two brothers had heart conduction system glycemia (23 mg/dl) a few hours after ingestion. The postmortem study showed edema, hemorrhage and congestion of the lungs, alveolitis, fibrosis and lobar atelectasia; renal tubular necrosis adrenal necrosis; colestasia; hepatic steatosis focal miocarditis. The clinical evolution, particularly short in the first two patients, is commented on, as well as the post-mortem findings, comparing them with those described in the literature. Finally, due to the high toxicity of this herbicide, we insist in prompt transport to herbicide, we insist in prompt transport to the hospital in order to apply early treatment.