Hair Dye Poisoning: Case Report and Review of Literature

Background: Hair dye poisoning, with main toxic component paraphenylene diamine, is a medical emergency. It is on increasing trend in developing countries due to wide availability and low cost of hair dyes. It carries a high mortality and does not have any specific antidote. Case Report: Twenty three years old patient presented with breathelessness along with difficulty in speaking for one hour after consuming hair dye. He developed cervicofacial edema followed by rhabdomyolysis, myoglobinuria and acute kidney injury, classical of hair dye poisoning. Laboratory investigations revealed blood urea of 100 mg/dl and serum creatinine of 3.8 mg/dl. The serum creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) levels were 1230 U/L and urine myoglobin was positive. He was treated conservatively for acute kidney injury and discharged in stable condition. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and treatment of poisoning due to hair dyes leads to improved prognosis, so widespread awareness is needed about this emerging form of poisoning.