Ricin poisoning

What it is

A rare disorder due to poisoning characterized by acute onset of potentially life-threatening illness following ingestion, inhalation, or injection of ricin, a lectin present in the seeds of Ricinus communis, the castor oil plant. Clinical presentation depends on the route of administration, inhalation being the most toxic route, followed by oral ingestion. Presenting signs and symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hematemesis, and melena (upon ingestion), cough, wheezing, dyspnea, sore throat, and congestion (upon inhalation), and erythema, induration, blisters, capillary leak syndrome, and localized necrosis (upon injection). The condition can progress to seizures, shock, organ failure, pulmonary edema, and respiratory failure.

Key facts

Prevalence

<1 / 1 000 000 (Europe)

Age of onset

All ages

Inheritance

Not applicable

Classified as

Disease

Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.

ICD-10 codes

ICD-10 has no distinct code for most rare diseases, so many are filed under the nearest available one. A shared code identifies the group, not this disease — the ORPHAcode above is what identifies it.

Related health topics

Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.

Cross-references