Problems of Forensic Sciences 2008 Vol. 75 (LXXV) 282-293
MUSHROOM (FUNGI) POISONINGS INVESTIGATED AT THE REGIONAL CENTRE OF ACUTE POISONING,INSTITUTE OF OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, SOSNOWIEC, POLAND
Małgorzata KAPALA, Anna NOWACKA, Mariusz KICKA, Marek RAKOWSKI
Institute of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, Sosnowiec, Poland
Streszczenie
Accidental mushroom poisoning is most frequently associated with a lack of knowledge about mushrooms, macroscopic similarities between poisonous and edible species, unsuitable cooking practices and/or improper storage. Incidences of poisoning by hallucinogenic mushrooms are usually treated as intentional. Between 2003 and 2007, at the Regional Centre of Acute Poisoning in Sosnowiec, 349 cases of mushroom poisoning were diagnosed. The reported cases were as follows: cytotropic (16 cases), neurotropic (53 cases, including 19 by the liberty cap – Psilocybe semilanceata), and various gastro-intestinal types (280 cases). The complete diagnostic management protocol employed in mushroom poisoning encompasses: 1. A precise evaluation of medical history; 2. A microscopic examination of spores in biological materials (such as vomit, stomach washings, faeces); 3. Macroscopic and microscopic analyses of comparative materials (remnants of mushroom dishes, mushroom peelings); 4. An examination of morphological and biochemical parameters – an assessment of internal organ damage (the liver, kidneys), homeostasis, water-electrolyte balance and acid-base equilibrium disturbances. Microscopic examination of spores is very difficult and usually requires highly qualified laboratory staff with long-term experience. Spores belonging to the same fungal genera can be strikingly similar (e.g. Amanita muscaria, Amanita phalloides, and Amanita pantherina). However, spores originating from the same hymenium are not identical. They may differ in their colour intensity, size and shape. Microscopically, spores present in biological material may resemble leukocytes, yeast cells, epithelium cells or fat droplets.
Słowa kluczowe
Mushroom poisoning; Diagnostics; Mycology.