Tricothecenes represents a family of sesquiterpenoid compounds produced by a variety of fungi. T-2 toxin and other members have been developed and used as a bioweapon. Stahl et al described the clinical findings following such an attack.
Duration |
Stage |
Clinical Signs and Symptoms |
3 - 9 days |
I |
chemical burn on skin or mucous membranes headache, dizziness weakness vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain fever, sweating (diaphoresis) tachycardia cyanosis |
2 - 4 weeks |
II |
pancytopenia with lymphocytosis headache fatigue, vertigo petechiae |
variable |
III |
necrotic lesions of skin and mucous membranes petechiae and mucosal hemorrhages gastrointestinal bleeding lymphadenopathy infection and/or sepsis death |
3 - 12 weeks (if alive) |
IV |
resolution of skin and hematologic lesions complications of infection |
The chemical burns and necrotic lesions occur where the released compound comes in contact with the victim. This would be absent in an environmental exposure.
The clinical syndrome was likened to that of acute radiation poisoning.
Specialty: Toxicology, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
ICD-10: ,