Corneal Toxicity Following Exposure to Asclepias Tuberosa

Lauge Hjorth Mikkelsen; Hassan Hamoudi; Cigdem Altuntas Gül; Steffen Heegaard

doi:10.2174/1874364101711010001

Corneal Toxicity Following Exposure to Asclepias Tuberosa

Lauge Hjorth Mikkelsen, Hassan Hamoudi, Cigdem Altuntas Gül, Steffen Heegaard

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

PURPOSE: To present a case of corneal toxicity following exposure to milky plant latex from Asclepias tuberosa.

METHODS: A 70-year-old female presented with blurred vision and pain in her left eye after handling an Ascepias tuberosa. Clinical examination revealed a corneal stromal oedema with small epithelial defects. The corneal endothelium was intact and folds in Descemets membrane were observed. The oedema was treated with chloramphenicol, dexamethasone and scopolamine.

RESULTS: The corneal oedema had appeared after corneal exposure to the plant, Asclepias tuberosa, whose latex contains cardenolides that inhibit the Na+/ K+-ATPase in the corneal endothelium. The oedema resolved after 96 hours. After nine months the best corrected visual acuity was 20/20.

CONCLUSION: Corneal toxicity has previously been reported for plants of the Asclepias family. This is a rare case describing severe corneal toxicity caused by exposure to latex from Asclepias tuberosa. Handling of plants of the Asclepias family should be kept as a differential diagnosis in cases of acute corneal toxicity.

Original language	English
Journal	The Open Ophthalmology Journal
Volume	11
Pages (from-to)	1-4
Number of pages	4
ISSN	1874-3641
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2174/1874364101711010001
Publication status	Published - 2017

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Journal Article

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10.2174/1874364101711010001

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title = "Corneal Toxicity Following Exposure to Asclepias Tuberosa",

abstract = "PURPOSE: To present a case of corneal toxicity following exposure to milky plant latex from Asclepias tuberosa.METHODS: A 70-year-old female presented with blurred vision and pain in her left eye after handling an Ascepias tuberosa. Clinical examination revealed a corneal stromal oedema with small epithelial defects. The corneal endothelium was intact and folds in Descemets membrane were observed. The oedema was treated with chloramphenicol, dexamethasone and scopolamine.RESULTS: The corneal oedema had appeared after corneal exposure to the plant, Asclepias tuberosa, whose latex contains cardenolides that inhibit the Na+/ K+-ATPase in the corneal endothelium. The oedema resolved after 96 hours. After nine months the best corrected visual acuity was 20/20.CONCLUSION: Corneal toxicity has previously been reported for plants of the Asclepias family. This is a rare case describing severe corneal toxicity caused by exposure to latex from Asclepias tuberosa. Handling of plants of the Asclepias family should be kept as a differential diagnosis in cases of acute corneal toxicity.",

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author = "Mikkelsen, \{Lauge Hjorth\} and Hassan Hamoudi and G{\"u}l, \{Cigdem Altuntas\} and Steffen Heegaard",

year = "2017",

doi = "10.2174/1874364101711010001",

language = "English",

volume = "11",

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journal = "The Open Ophthalmology Journal",

issn = "1874-3641",

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T1 - Corneal Toxicity Following Exposure to Asclepias Tuberosa

AU - Mikkelsen, Lauge Hjorth

AU - Hamoudi, Hassan

AU - Gül, Cigdem Altuntas

AU - Heegaard, Steffen

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - PURPOSE: To present a case of corneal toxicity following exposure to milky plant latex from Asclepias tuberosa.METHODS: A 70-year-old female presented with blurred vision and pain in her left eye after handling an Ascepias tuberosa. Clinical examination revealed a corneal stromal oedema with small epithelial defects. The corneal endothelium was intact and folds in Descemets membrane were observed. The oedema was treated with chloramphenicol, dexamethasone and scopolamine.RESULTS: The corneal oedema had appeared after corneal exposure to the plant, Asclepias tuberosa, whose latex contains cardenolides that inhibit the Na+/ K+-ATPase in the corneal endothelium. The oedema resolved after 96 hours. After nine months the best corrected visual acuity was 20/20.CONCLUSION: Corneal toxicity has previously been reported for plants of the Asclepias family. This is a rare case describing severe corneal toxicity caused by exposure to latex from Asclepias tuberosa. Handling of plants of the Asclepias family should be kept as a differential diagnosis in cases of acute corneal toxicity.

AB - PURPOSE: To present a case of corneal toxicity following exposure to milky plant latex from Asclepias tuberosa.METHODS: A 70-year-old female presented with blurred vision and pain in her left eye after handling an Ascepias tuberosa. Clinical examination revealed a corneal stromal oedema with small epithelial defects. The corneal endothelium was intact and folds in Descemets membrane were observed. The oedema was treated with chloramphenicol, dexamethasone and scopolamine.RESULTS: The corneal oedema had appeared after corneal exposure to the plant, Asclepias tuberosa, whose latex contains cardenolides that inhibit the Na+/ K+-ATPase in the corneal endothelium. The oedema resolved after 96 hours. After nine months the best corrected visual acuity was 20/20.CONCLUSION: Corneal toxicity has previously been reported for plants of the Asclepias family. This is a rare case describing severe corneal toxicity caused by exposure to latex from Asclepias tuberosa. Handling of plants of the Asclepias family should be kept as a differential diagnosis in cases of acute corneal toxicity.

KW - Journal Article

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85017201858

U2 - 10.2174/1874364101711010001

DO - 10.2174/1874364101711010001

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28400886

SN - 1874-3641

VL - 11

SP - 1

EP - 4

JO - The Open Ophthalmology Journal

JF - The Open Ophthalmology Journal

ER -

Corneal Toxicity Following Exposure to Asclepias Tuberosa

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