Gangrene Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Gangrene, including details on smoking, treatment, causes, amputation, necrosis.

Acute limb ischemia due to ergotism.

Naz I, Sophie Z

Department of Surgery, Section of Vascular Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.

Acute ischemia of an extremity potentially threatens limb loss and occasionally the life of the patient. We are reporting two cases of extremity ischemia secondary to ergot poisoning. The first patient was a 60 years old woman, who presented with a 15 days history of ischemia of the left arm with gangrene of the fingers and pain in the resting right hand for one day. Right brachial artery catheterization showed severe spasm of the artery which was resolved by passage of the inflated balloon catheter. She underwent amputation for gangrene of the left hand. The second patient presented with bilateral symmetrical ischemia of the lower extremities which improved upon withdrawal of the ergot containing medicine. She responded to nifedipine.

Published 10 August 2006 in J Coll Physicians Surg Pak, 16(8): 553-5.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Gangrene Research Today. All Rights Reserved.