Korean J Dermatol.  1983 Jun;21(3):279-286.

Cutaneous Manifestations of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

• Lee JB
• Chang KH
• Choi IS

Abstract

Carbon monoxide is colorless, oolorless, tasteless and non-irritating gas produced by the incomplete combustion of carbonaceous rnaterial. It combines with hemoglobin and displaces oxygen because the affinity of hemoglobin for carbon monoxide is two hundred times greater than oxygen. Symptoma and signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, collapse, unconsciousness, blindness, convulsion, coma and skin lesions. Recently we have observed seven patients with carbon monoxide poisoning who expressed cutaneous syrnptoms. In this work we investigated the pathogenesis of cutaneous manifestations of carbon monoxide poisoning through clinical, histologic and electronmicroscopic study. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Mental states of the patients were comatose in two, Semicomatcse in two, stuporous in two, and drowsy in one patient. In routine laboratory tests, we observed elevated blood sugar in six, elevated sorum creatinine phosphokinase in four and abnormal findings in urinalysis in all patients. 2. Cutaneous lesions were vesicobullae, plaque or swelling, erythema, gangrene and 'ulceration in order of frequency and located in the dependent areas in six caies. 3. Histopathologically, the sites of the bullae were subepidermal in four cases and intraepidermal in. one case and there was one case with ulceration. 4. In electronmicroscopic findings, secretory and ductal cells showed degenerative

MeSH Terms

Blindness
Blood Glucose
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning*
Carbon Monoxide*
Carbon*
Coma
Creatinine
Dizziness
Erythema
Gangrene
Headache
Humans
Nausea
Oxygen
Seizures
Skin
Stupor
Ulcer
Unconsciousness
Urinalysis
Vomiting
Blood Glucose
Carbon
Carbon Monoxide
Creatinine
Oxygen