[Lithium distribution in organs after lithium poisoning]

This paper describes the lithium distribution in the organs of two manic-depressive women who died following lithium intoxication. In both cases intoxication was observed during and after an acute phase of epidemic influenza accompanied by diarrhoea. The patients died from cerebral failure 5 and 7 days after receiving their last lithium dose. Death could not be prevented although NaCl infusions and haemodialyses were carried out. Only slight differences in lithium content were found when comparing extracerebral organs and serum. However, the brain accumulated considerable amounts of lithium ion. This reached toxic concentration in most of the brain areas of both patients. The highest values were found in the white matter, pointing to a lithium accumulation in lipid-enriched brain cells. The results were interpreted in connection with earlier findings of our group and other authors.