Djenkol beans as a cause of hematuria in children

Djenkolism is djenkol bean poisoning, characterized by acute renal failure, urinary obstruction and spasmodic pain. The effects of djenkol bean consumption on the urinary tract without overt symptoms and long-term outcome are not established. This paper examines the association between djenkol bean ingestion and urine abnormalities in school children.

609 school children aged 7-11 years in five urban Hat-Yai schools were interviewed, and had their urine analyzed. All children included in the study had normal blood pressure for age, no illness (including respiratory tract symptoms) and were not taking medication.

78% of the children had a history of eating djenkol bean and of these 31% had done so in the past 24 h. Children with hematuria were almost four times (crude odds ratio = 3.7) as likely to have a history of eating djenkol beans as those with normal urine. Crystaluria and pyuria were not significantly more common among those eating the beans. The risk of having hematuria did not change with increasing consumption, or time since last eaten, or type of preparation even after adjustment for sex and age.

Djenkol bean consumption may be defined as one of the probable causes of hematuria in the area where the djenkol tree grows.