Corneal Toxicity Following Exposure to Asclepias Tuberosa

TY - JOUR

T1 - Corneal Toxicity Following Exposure to Asclepias Tuberosa

AU - Mikkelsen, Lauge Hjorth

AU - Hamoudi, Hassan

AU - Gül, Cigdem Altuntas

AU - Heegaard, Steffen

PY - 2017/1/1

Y1 - 2017/1/1

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

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 -