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| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 1991 | Volume
: 37
| Issue : 1 | Page : 9-13 |
Methyl alcohol poisoning: an autopsy study of 28 cases.
BV Mittal, AP Desai, KR Khade
Department of Pathology, Seth G.S. Medical College, Parel, Bombay, Maharashtra.
Correspondence Address:
B V Mittal
Department of Pathology, Seth G.S. Medical College, Parel, Bombay, Maharashtra.
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
PMID: 0001941700 
Twenty eight fatal cases out of the 97 cases of methyl alcohol (MA) poisoning admitted to K. E. M. Hospital in August 1988 during a single outbreak were studied. The latent period between consumption of the drink and development of symptoms was variable (range 7 1/2 hours to 60 hours). CNS symptoms were predominant (75% of cases) and shock either at admission or as a late event was seen in 89% of the cases. Blurring of vision was seen in 42.8% and blindness in 10.7% of cases. Minimum fatal period was 7 1/2 hours and maximum was 12 days. Methanol levels in blood and viscera were variable (average 155.8 mg%, max. 420.4 mg%). In 4 cases, significant amount of MA was detected in stomach contents 5-12 days after consumption of MA, raising the question of resecretion of MA in stomach. Shrinkage and degeneration of neurons in the parietal cortex was seen in 85.7% of cases. Putamental degeneration and necrosis was seen in 7.14%. Haemorrhage (3.5%) and sponginess (7.14%) was observed in the optic chiasma. Severe renal tubular degeneration and patchy necrosis was seen in all cases. Fatty changes (67.8%) and microvesicular fat (42.5%) were seen in the hepatocytes.
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