J Korean Soc Clin Toxicol.  2019 Jun;17(1):42-45. 10.22537/jksct.2019.17.1.42.

Symptomatic Hypocalcemia Associated with Dioscorea tokoro Toxicity

• Yoon JC
• Lee JB
• Jeong TO
• Jo SO
• Jin YH

• KMID: 2452743
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22537/jksct.2019.17.1.42

Abstract

Dioscorea tokoro has long been used in Korean traditional medicine as a pain killer and anti-inflammatory agent. A 53-year-old male who consumed water that had been boiled with raw tubers of D. tokoro as tea presented with numbness and spasm of both hands and feet. Laboratory results showed hypocalcemia, hypoparathyroidism, and vitamin D insufficiency. During his hospital stay, colitis, acute kidney injury, and toxic encephalopathy developed. The patient received calcium gluconate intravenous infusion and oral calcium carbonate with alfacalcidol. His symptoms improved gradually, but hypocalcemia persisted despite the calcium supplementation. We suggest that ingestion of inappropriately prepared D. tokoro can cause symptomatic hypocalcemia in patients with unbalanced calcium homeostasis.

Keyword

Dioscorea tokoro; Hypocalcemia; Hypoparathyroidism

MeSH Terms

Acute Kidney Injury
Calcium
Calcium Carbonate
Calcium Gluconate
Colitis
Dioscorea*
Eating
Foot
Hand
Homeostasis
Humans
Hypesthesia
Hypocalcemia*
Hypoparathyroidism
Infusions, Intravenous
Length of Stay
Male
Medicine, Korean Traditional
Middle Aged
Neurotoxicity Syndromes
Spasm
Tea
Vitamin D
Water
Calcium
Calcium Carbonate
Calcium Gluconate
Tea
Vitamin D
Water