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Acute benzyl alcohol intoxication: An autopsy case report
Shojiro Ichimata1, Yukiko Hata1, Ryosuke Zaimoku2
1Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
Medicine
|March 31, 2023
Summary
This case report details a fatal benzyl alcohol intoxication. Severe central nervous system effects, not kidney damage, were linked to early death from this paint stripper exposure.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Neuropathology
- Forensic Pathology
Background:
- Benzyl alcohol intoxication mechanisms and autopsy findings remain under-investigated.
- Published autopsy reports for benzyl alcohol poisoning are scarce.
Observation:
- A 24-year-old male presented with cardiopulmonary arrest after paint stripping.
- Autopsy revealed skin discoloration, epidermal vacuolar degeneration, tracheal/bronchial mucosal erosion, and neuropathological changes.
- Blood benzyl alcohol levels were significantly elevated at 780.0 μg/mL.
Findings:
- Histopathology showed vacuolar degeneration and mucosal erosion.
- Neuropathology identified neuronal cell changes in the pons and cerebellum.
- No significant renal pathology was observed.
Implications:
- Multiple exposure routes may accelerate acute benzyl alcohol intoxication.
- Early and severe central nervous system involvement, rather than renal dysfunction, may predict rapid fatality.
- This case highlights the critical need for further research into benzyl alcohol toxicity.
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