Oral surgery, oral medicine, and oral pathology
-
Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Pathol. · Nov 1994
ReviewInjury to the oral mucous membranes caused by the common houseplant, dieffenbachia. A review.
The common houseplant, dieffenbachia, causes painful edematous swelling of the oral mucous membranes when chewed. This property, which is well known to the staffs of poison control centers, can be dangerous to the unwary or to victims of practical jokes. ⋯ When stimulated, the idioblasts fire the raphides with some force for a distance of two to three cell lengths. One possibility is that the local toxicity of dieffenbachia may be caused by a combination of this mechanical release of the raphides, which results in traumatic injury, and the effects of a chemical toxin carried on their surfaces and in their grooves.