Chemical Burn Caused by Ranunculus arvensis
Chemical Burn Caused by Ranunculus arvensis
Ranunculus arvensis is a wild growing plant, used traditionally for the treatment of various diseases. Very few chemical burn cases resulting from R arvensis are reported in the literature. We present a patient who applied the plant R arvensis externally to his left leg attempting to alleviate leg pain, and suffered chemical burns as a consequence. Treatment was started with paraffin-impregnated gauze dressings containing chlorhexidine. The patient's lesions began to recover in 4–5 days, and resolved within 14 days.
Ranunculus arvensis L. (family Ranunculaceae) is a wild growing plant used traditionally in China and the Far East for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. All parts of this plant are recognized as toxic when fresh. Also known as "wedding bloom" in Turkey, R arvensis grows wild mainly in the Southeastern Anatolia and Mediterranean regions of the country. The adverse effects of Ranunculus family are also related to the amount of time it is in contact with skin and the area of contact. Adverse effects manifest via three main mechanisms: irritant, phototoxic, and hypersensitivity reactions. Very few chemical burn cases resulting from R arvensis are reported in literature. The following report presents a patient who applied R arvensis externally to his left leg to alleviate pain and suffered chemical burns as a consequence.
Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Ranunculus arvensis is a wild growing plant, used traditionally for the treatment of various diseases. Very few chemical burn cases resulting from R arvensis are reported in the literature. We present a patient who applied the plant R arvensis externally to his left leg attempting to alleviate leg pain, and suffered chemical burns as a consequence. Treatment was started with paraffin-impregnated gauze dressings containing chlorhexidine. The patient's lesions began to recover in 4–5 days, and resolved within 14 days.
Introduction
Ranunculus arvensis L. (family Ranunculaceae) is a wild growing plant used traditionally in China and the Far East for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. All parts of this plant are recognized as toxic when fresh. Also known as "wedding bloom" in Turkey, R arvensis grows wild mainly in the Southeastern Anatolia and Mediterranean regions of the country. The adverse effects of Ranunculus family are also related to the amount of time it is in contact with skin and the area of contact. Adverse effects manifest via three main mechanisms: irritant, phototoxic, and hypersensitivity reactions. Very few chemical burn cases resulting from R arvensis are reported in literature. The following report presents a patient who applied R arvensis externally to his left leg to alleviate pain and suffered chemical burns as a consequence.
