Ricin intramuscular

Leek, M.D., Griffiths, G.D., Green, M.A. (1989). Intestinal pathology following intramuscular ricin poisoning. J. Pathol. 159 329-34. 

Possible routes of exposure include cutaneous, mucosal, gastrointestinal, inhalation, and parenteral (intravenous or intramuscular). Gastrointestinal exposures are usually accidental and occur most commonly when castor (ricin) or jequirty (abrin) beans are chewed or swallowed. Cutaneous exposures are limited primarily to castor beans, which are unusually allergenic and may cause severe cutaneous hypersensitivity and systemic allergic reactions. Inhalation and parenteral exposures are generally limited to intentional, usually malicious, exposures. 

Rats administered ricin 5 pg (33-50 pg/kg body weight) intramuscularly survived a maximum of 35 h. Post-mortem examination of the intestinal tract demonstrated severe haemorrhage with apoptosis of cells lining the small intestine, particularly the ileum, which showed marked lymphoid cell and macrophage infiltration of villi. The stomach and colon were largely unaffected (Leek etal., 1989). 

A third case of intramuscular ricin injection involved a 53 year-old male who injected part of 13 chewed castor beans into his thigh with suicidal intent (Passeron et al., 2004). He developed necrotic cellulitis complicated by Enterococcus faecalis infection requiring emergency surgical debridement, but recovered after three months hospitalization. 

An interesting case has been described of a laboratory chemist in England who injected himself intramuscularly with ricin which he had extracted from castor beans. The extraction was carried out using cut beans left in water for a week. Apparently, he had not... 

---