A "bush tea" is an herbal medicine prepared from plants, fruits, bark, roots and/or flowers. Some plants used for bush teas contain toxins that can produce veno-occlusive disease (VOD) in the liver. It has been described worldwide, especially in the tropics and subtropics.
Plants implicated include:
(1) comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
(2) Crotalaria fulva (in West Indies)
(3) Senecio
(4) Heliotropium
Toxins involved: pyrrolizidine alkaloids
The disease can occur after a single cup of the brew if the dose of alkaloids is high enough.
The onset may be acute, subacute or chronic.
Acute veno-occlusive disease presents with:
(1) abdominal pain
(2) hepatomegaly
(3) nausea and vomiting
Chronic veno-occlusive disease presents with:
(1) hepatomegaly
(2) ascites and portal hypertension
Liver biopsy is required for the diagnosis. This shows fibrosis with narrowing and occlusion of central and sublobular hepatic veins.
To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.
