Folk remedies still in use: a case of soft palate and uvular oedema due to Ecbalium elaterium

Abstract

A case of soft palate and uvular oedema due to nasal administration of juice produced from the fruit of the plant Ecbalium elaterium, widely known as squirting cucumber, is presented. The patient recovered after administration of subcutaneous adrenaline and methylprednisolone. Cucurbitacins have been implicated in the past as toxic constituents of plants from the Cucurbitaceae family. Either an allergic reaction or a direct toxic effect of the constituents is responsible for the occurrence. A few similar cases have been reported, mostly in eastern Mediterranean countries.