Forensic identification of fatal mushroom poisoning: a case report

Mushroom poisoning incidents happen infrequently, yet owing to the non-lethal nature of most toxins and the efficacy of timely treatment, fatalities from mushroom poisoning are uncommon, leading to a scarcity of pertinent clinical and pathological data. Here, we reported a case of death caused by the consumption of raw mushrooms, alongside detailed clinical data and multi-organs pathological alterations, which underscored its potential significant reference value in forensic practice. Futhermore, ibotenic acid, a type of mushroom toxin, was detected both in the patient’s blood and gastric lavage fluid about 19 h after the consumption of mushrooms, and was successfully quantified at concentrations of 0.381 µg/mL and 0.202 µg/mL, respectively, indicating a relatively significant finding.