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Poisoning due to raw Gyromitra esculenta (false morels) west of the Rockies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2015

Anne M. Leathem  and
Thomas J. Dorran
Anne M. Leathem*
Affiliation:
BC Drug and Poison Information Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
Thomas J. Dorran
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, Nanaimo, BC and Clinical Innovation and Integration, B.C. Ministry of Health, Victoria, BC
*
anne@leathem.ca

Abstract

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Vomiting with abdominal pain is a common presentation in the emergency department (ED). Without a careful history, unusual causes, such as toxic ingestion, may evade diagnosis. We report a case of an Asian couple who presented to the ED with vomiting and epigastric distress. They were discharged with no definite diagnosis, but on a return ED visit the following day were diagnosed with toxic ingestion of Gyromitra esculenta, commonly known as the western false morel. The patients were admitted and treated with intravenous hydration and pyridoxine. Both patients developed mild hepatotoxicity but went on to fully recover. This case demonstrates that the western false morel may cause significant toxicity and it highlights the importance of obtaining a complete history in patients who present with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms.

Keywords

Gyromitra esculentafalse morelgyromitrinmonomethylhydrazinemushroom poisoning
Type
Case Reports • Observations de cas
Information
Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , March 2007 , pp. 127 - 130
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2007

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