Plant Poisoning, Phytophototoxins Follow-up

  • Author: Suzanne Moore Shepherd, MD, MS, DTM&H, FACEP, FAAEM; Chief Editor: Asim Tarabar, MD   more...
 
Updated: Jan 7, 2010
 

Further Inpatient Care

  • In general, the care of phototoxicity is provided in the outpatient setting.
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Further Outpatient Care

  • If symptoms persist or worsen instead of improving, other illnesses, such as the primary light disorders, should be considered and further evaluation is warranted by a dermatologist.
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Deterrence/Prevention

  • Limit or avoid contact with the specific plant.
  • Limit sun exposure.
  • Regular use of a UV-A-blocking sunscreen may help to prevent phytophotodermatitis.
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Complications

  • Long-term exposure and severe reactions may result in hyperpigmentation requiring continued topical steroid treatment.
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Prognosis

  • Significant long-term skin changes (hyperpigmentation, scarring) can occur with chronic exposure.
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Patient Education

  • Patients should be educated regarding plants that produce phytophototoxicity in order to avoid skin exposure.
  • Patients may be counseled to wear gloves and skin coverings when their work necessitates ongoing exposure to these plant oils and to the sun.
  • Patients should be educated regarding use of appropriate sunscreens when sun-exposed.
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Suzanne Moore Shepherd, MD, MS, DTM&H, FACEP, FAAEM  Associate Professor, Education Officer, Department of Emergency Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Director of Education and Research, PENN Travel Medicine

Suzanne Moore Shepherd, MD, MS, DTM&H, FACEP, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, International Society of Travel Medicine, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Thomas Joseph Lydon, MD, PhD  Consulting Staff, Section of Emergency Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

William H Shoff, MD, DTM&H  Director, PENN Travel Medicine, Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

William H Shoff, MD, DTM&H is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, International Society of Travel Medicine, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Glaxo Smith Kline None None; Glaxo Smith Kline Honoraria Speaking and teaching

Specialty Editor Board

Miguel C Fernandez, MD, FAAEM, FACEP, FACMT, FACCT  Associate Clinical Professor; Medical and Managing Director, South Texas Poison Center, Department of Surgery/Emergency Medicine and Toxicology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Miguel C Fernandez, MD, FAAEM, FACEP, FACMT, FACCT is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Clinical Toxicologists, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Medical Toxicology, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Texas Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

John T VanDeVoort, PharmD  Regional Director of Pharmacy, Sacred Heart & St. Joseph's Hospitals

John T VanDeVoort, PharmD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Michael Hodgman, MD  Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Bassett Healthcare

Michael Hodgman, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Medical Toxicology, American College of Physicians, Medical Society of the State of New York, and Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

John D Halamka, MD, MS  Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Asim Tarabar, MD  Assistant Professor, Director, Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale-New Haven Hospital

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References

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A 37-year-old white woman presented to the clinic complaining of a rash on the medial part of her right thigh and left arm that was acquired after clearing some weeds in her yard. A phototoxic combination of sunlight and a psoralen-containing plant produced this bizarre linear vesicular eruption.
Closer clinical view of bizarre angulated vesicular streaks, which occurred after contact with a plant and ultraviolet light exposure.
A 26-year-old female airline flight attendant exposed to lime while serving drinks en route to the Caribbean. During the Caribbean layover, she had significant sun exposure. The combination of lime juice and sun exposure led to a drip-pattern blister formation on the dorsal forearm consistent with phytophotodermatitis. This picture clearly delineates the potential severity of phytophotodermatitis with extensive blister formation.
The 2-month follow-up photo of the patient above demonstrates the potential postinflammatory pigmentation changes and scarring that may occur with severe blistering of phytophotodermatitis.
Close-up view of vesicular linear streaks with morphology suggestive of scattered foci of epidermal necrosis.
Queen Anne's lace, a member of the Umbelliferae family of plants, is well known to produce a furocoumarin-induced phototoxic eruption.
Ficus. The common fig contains furocoumarins and should be considered amidst the list of potential offending agents that cause phytophotodermatitis.
 
 
 
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