Severe Hemolytic Anemia After Mothball Ingestion Complicated by an Undiagnosed Enzyme Deficiency: A Case Report

Ingestion of mothballs containing naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene is known to cause hemolysis and methemoglobinemia secondary to severe oxidative stress, affecting the oxygen delivery system of the body. The gradual accumulation of oxidizing radicals in the setting of restricted glutathione availability leads to the oxidization of hemoglobin and other body proteins, ultimately causing cell destruction. In the setting of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDD), more pronounced symptoms and poor prognosis are anticipated as adequate nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate is not generated to protect red blood cells from oxidative injury, potentiating the hemolytic process further. Here, we report the case of a young male with mothball ingestion whose presentation and management were complicated by underlying undiagnosed G6PDD.