DEATH FOLLOWING COLCHICINE POISONING

A 45-year-old male was admitted to hospital after 2 to 3 days of vomit ing, nausea, and diarrhea following an apparent overdose of colchicine tablets. During hospitalization his white blood cell count fell drama tically. At death, 33 h following initial hospitalization, pleural eff usion with bilateral bronchopneumonia was evident, together with numer ous bacterial colonies and marked hypocellularity of bone marrow and r educed megakaryocytes, erythroid, and myeloid cells. The most striking histological findings were numerous metaphasic mitotic figures in gas tric and small bowel epithelia. Colchicine was detected, confirmed by high pressure liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection, a nd quantitated in antemortem plasma collected. 3.3 h following hospita lization and in postmortem blood and bile. Colchicine was not detected in liver, vitreous humor, or stomach contents.