• Jerome Liotier, Marie Barbier, Gaëtan Plantefeve, Christian Duale, Patrice Deteix, Bertrand Souweine, and Francois Coudoré.
• Nephrology and Reanimation, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
• Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2008 Nov 1; 46 (9): 905-7.

IntroductionThe clinical signs of acute trichlorethylene overdose are commonly coma, cardiac conduction disturbances, diarrhea, and vomiting. We report a case of intentional massive trichlorethylene ingestion inducing a fatal abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS).Case ReportA 47-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency department after intentionally ingesting 500 mL of trichlorethylene and benzodiazepines. She rapidly developed coma and abdominal distension leading to multiple organ failure. Subsequent surgical evaluation revealed abdominal perforation and necrosis, and life-sustaining treatments were therefore withdrawn.DiscussionThis is a primary ACS that can be explained from experimental data on the pathophysiology of pneumatosis cystoides coli. For this case, we discuss multiple etiological factors for intra-abdominal hypertension (IAP), such as paralytic ileus and massive fluid resuscitation due to the direct toxicity of ingested trichlorethylene.ConclusionPatients ingesting trichlorethylene need to be closely evaluated for risk of digestive damage and perforation. Early prompt laparotomy must be performed in cases of ACS.

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