~~~~~~~~~ J:_~K SCIENCE I CASE REPORT ~

Epidemic Dropsy in a Family

Annil Mahajan, A. S. Manhas, S. S. Jamwal, Davinder Jasrotia, Satish Yograj

Abstract

Argenlone usually OCCllf." in null.....,,1-;.04. I~olull.al UU':'l..l~ un.: unCOllltTIOIl. We here "'':pUII "pldemie dropsy in a family long after the major epidemic was supposed 10 be over in India.

Key Words Epidemic dropsy. Argemone oil.

Introduction Case Report

Epidemic dropsy is a disease characterized by oedema. A 28-year old man with average socia-economic stat cardiac insufficiency, gastrointestinal disturbances and rcp0l1ed to Government Medical College, Jamlllu in late vascular changes resulting frol11 inadvCl1cnt ingestion of March 1999 with bilatcral pedal oedema of 20 dOl, duration. He had facial puffiness. There was lo\\-grade seeds ofi\rgemone mexicana (the Mexican poppy). This intermittent fever with rigors and chills right from the \\ecd has \\orldwide distribution and cases ofepidemic beginnin!; and it had subsided on its own 5 days before dropsy have been reported from Mauritius, Fiji. &cll~ll' bbl'\\1\ TIle, " - - \' . Myanmar. Ausll'~li(\' M'Id'l"lj f,~' unci 10'0' ,I- <. , Mil ff 55 on. T lere was no history of breathlessness or l~r5 [ffjlff~I': XU:; '1\ lao Maaagasear and South Africa, chest pain or palpitation. Ilis urine output was adequate.

besides India (I). Seeds of this wecd resemble mustard Bowel habits were normal. On examination, he \\3S secds and it may be difficult to prevent casual mixing of afebrile with pulse rate of 102/ml, respiratory rate of the two where the crops grow together in spite of \8/mt and his blood pressurc was 140/70 mm of Hg. the fact that their harvcsting is scparated by a period of .JVP was raised and liver was palpable, non-tender six to cight weeks. A major outbreak of the disease and was 3 cms below the costal margin. There \\as occurred in August - Scptember 1998 in the northern bilatcral pitting pedal oedema, local temperature ofboth parts of India. We hcre report occurrcnce of epidemic calves and ankles was raised and these were tender to dropsy in a family in Jammu in March, \999 long after touch. Ankles had erythematous hue. His haemog\obi\\ was II 'b'",%. TLC ~f'lTlm' antI 't'S'R was 35 mm in the epidemic was supposed to bc over.

From the Department ofGencrall\1cdicine. Governm"nt i\lodicnl College. Jl1l~ITIU (J&K) India. . Correspondence to: Dr. Annil M

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~ur(Westergran).His urea (32mgldl) and creatinine on by ordinary activity. There was no history of chest ~ mg%) levels were normal and urine examination pain or palpitation. Her urine output was adequate, bowel ,IC,lcd 110 abnormality. ECG showcd sinus tachycardia. habits normal and appetite good. She had pallor, pulse dus examination revealed hyperaemic disc with rate was 86/min, respiratory rate 24/min and BP 110/60 ',fieial retinal haemorrhages in both the eycs (Fig. mm of Hg. JVP was not raised. She had bilateral pedal ~, Intraocular tension was normal kjn bjof'sy oedema and the ankles were erythematous and tender. ,aled mild increase in melanin in the basal layer with Liver was palpable, non-tender and was 2 cms below ,JClllalOus superficial dermis. costal margin. Haemoglobin was 8.5 gldl, TLC 7500/ mm) and ESR 45 mm in Ist hour. Serum urca (24 mgl dl) and creatininc (1.2 mg 'Yo) levels were within normal range and fundus examination was normal. Skin biopsy report indicated oedema of the superficial dermis with increased pigmentation ofthe basal layers ofepidermis.

The couple had two children. 3\f, years (female) and 5 ycars old (malc). Both had normal clinical profile cxcept for mild pcdal oedema of two weeks duration. Their fundus examination was normal. Routine hacmogram, renal function tests and urine examination were normal.

Mustard oil being consumed by the family was tested and was positi~:e for argemone oil.

Both husband and wife were given diuretics and antioxidants for a period of2 weeks. The children were

given diuretics only. The family remained in Ollf followup for a period of three months although all the patients improved after one month.

Discussion

Argemone poisoning, commonly known as epidemic dropsy occurs in outbreaks. In India, most cases have Fig. 2. Sho\\s sUIH.'rficial h:lcmorrhagc in the retina. been reported from Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Wife of this man (23 years old) had bilateral pedal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The disease was first reported oedema of twenty days duration. She too reported with in 1877 from Bengal. Since then, numerous epidemics facial puffiness and low-grade intermittent fever at the have been documented, worst ones being in 1934 (2) /imeofadmission. She had exertional dyspnoea brought and 1998. In both epidemics, more than two thousand

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people were involved. Outbreak ofthis disease, in J&K increase the severity of the disease. Though the disca~ State, was first reported from Jammu in September 1998 occurs in cpidemics, isolated cases are also reponee (3). Relinal haemorrhages were not seen in any of the Onset of the disease may be acute or subacute patients in the series reported from Jammu but has bccn Commonest finding is the bilateral pedal oedema as h~ observed in one of our paticnts. The outbreak in 1998 bcen observed in all ofour cases. The swollen legs mal was alarming becausc of the fact that no statc ofNol1h be crythematous and tender and two ofour patients ha India remained untouched. Adulteration of edible oils this finding ('II). Pleural and pcricardial effusion an with the is generally unintentional as the diseasc ascites may occur. , vomiting and dirrhoea alS( occurs in outbreaks despite common growth of the occur though none of our cases complained of these Mexican poppy plant and easy availability of its seeds. symptoms. Low-grade fever as was observcd in 2 ofour Thc argemone oil is pungent just like mustard oil and cases is also described (8). Cardiac and rcnal failure this makes detection ofadulteration impossible without determine the prognosis. Hepatomegaly may occur (II) the aid of laboratory support. Contamination of linsced Mild derangement of Iiver functions may bc there. Tllo oil, ghce and wheat flour can also cause the disease (1,4). of our cases had hepatomegaly and liver function tests In our cases, contaminated mustard oil was being were normal in all the cases. Ocular manifestations consumed. Body massage with the adulterated oil can include retinal venous dilatation, haemorrhages and also cause the disease (5). A minimum concentration of papilloede!lla (12) Fiveto fifteen percent ofcases dcvelop I %ofargernone oi I in mustard oil is sufficieilt to produce and may require urgent management to epidemic dropsy (6). The disease usually occurs in prevent blindness (2). One of our paticnts had fami Iics coming from low socio-economic strata (7). The haemorrhages in the retina. Bleeding tendencies and persons con~llm ing protein-rich diet man ifest ami Id form peripheral neuritis are also known. Cause of death is ofthe disease. Incidence ofthe disease is usually highcst cardiac failure in most cases. in the months ofJuly-August and lowest in April. It has Diagnosis of the disease requires a high degree of been suggested that the ofthe oi I is reduced on clinical suspicion. The edible oil is tested forthe presence storage. Breast fed babies and children under two years of argemone oil. Confirmatory test is detection of of age do not suffer from dropsy (8). Sanguinarine and sanguinarine in serum or urine. . dihydro-sanguinarine. the present in the argemone congestive cardiac failure, myxoedcma, anaemia, hypo­ oil. cause the disease (9). These are thought to affcct the proteinemi'l, and beri-beri are conditions considered in . - ~ . carbohydrate metabolism, raising the levels of pyruvic differenLiql diagnosis. Treatment is largely symptomatic. acid (10). This has effects ranging from inhibition of Antioxidants and steroids are beneficial (13,14). Aspirin, a+ K+ ATPase, DNA damage, decreased GSH levels to indomethacin. ephedrine and c10nidine are used for increascd lipid peroxidation (10). Free radicals are glaucoma. Some cases ofglaucoma may require surgical generated and widespread increased capillary I)lanagement. permeability and vasodilatation occurs (10). These References changes are responsible for ocular and other clinical 1. Meaker RE. Argcmolle mexicana seed poisoning. manifestations of the disease. Hypoproteinemic states SOlllh Aji-icoll Med J 195t : 24 : 331-33.

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2 Chopra RN. Chaudhari RN. A preliminary report on an 9. Sarkar SN. Isolation from argcl110nc oil 01" dihydrosan­ epidemic drops~ outbreak in Purulia. tlld ,\Ied Ga= 1935 : guinerine and sanguincrine toxicit). Natllre 1948: 70:481. 162: 265-67. 3. Ali G. Manoj K. Dass 13 ct. al. Epidemic dropsy in 10. Das Met. al. ClinicocpidcmiologicaLtoxicological and safety Jamlllu-ciinical study and review. JK Practitioner 1999 : evaluation studies on argcmone oil. Cri! Rev Toxicol 1997 ; 6(1): 28-31. 27(3) : 273-97. 4 Nnrasimhan C el al. Epidemic drops) in Andhra Pradesh 11. Sainani GS. Rajkondawar VL Wechlakar i\ID. Wechlakar due to contaminated ghcc. J ,-Issac Phy Illd 1991 : OK. Epidemic drops) in Chandrapur (Maharashtra) 39( 10) : 749-50. Epidemiological and clinical stud). J Ass Phys Illd 1972 : 5. Soad NN. Sachdc\ MS. Mohan Met. 01. Epidemic drops) 20 : 30 I. following transcutaneous absorption ofargcmonc IIIcxicana 12. Sachdev MS. Sood NN. Mohan M el. al. Optic disc oil. )i-alls /I Sac '/i'op ,\led lIyg 1985: 79(4): 510-2. vasculitis in epidemic drops)'. Jpn J Oph'halmol 1987 : 6 Lal RI3. Dasgupta AC. Im"cstigations into the cpidemiolog~ 31(3): 467-74. or epidemic dropsy. Incidence b) season. Ind J J/ed Res 13. Kumar A et. al. An outbreak of epidemic drops) in the 1942:30: 145. Barabanki district ofUuar Pradesh. India: a limited trial for 7. Chaudhari RN. Chakravarty NK. Treatment of epidemic the scope of antioxidants in the management of s)'mptoms. dropsy. Illd ,\fed Gee 1950 : 85 ; 165. JJiomed L'nvirOIl Sci 1992 : 5(3) : 251-6.

8 \Vadia RS. Rclwani GS. l3atra RK. Ichaporia RN. Grant KB. 14. Shah MJ. Lewis RA. Nadiad epidemic observations of Epidemic drops~ in Poona : clinical features and one year serum proteins and steroid therapy. J Ind Med Ass 1955 : lollo\\up.J./P/1971 : 19: 641-43. 24 : 245.

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