Lathyrism is a disease that is caused by poisoning a special type of lentil - Lathyrus (L. sativus, L. cicera L. silvestris; Russian - rite).
Postmortem the person the main changes were observed in the spinal cord (I. N. Filimonov), of which the most significant was the rebirth of the side of the pyramidal tract. Much less pronounced sclerosis beams Flexile and Gaulle. Significant changes were also in the cells of the brain cortex, especially in the cells Betz (decrease in the number, puckering, expansion pericellular spaces).
In experiment on rabbits and Guinea pigs receiving food rank found severe changes in the cells of the brain cortex, in the front horns spinal cord, system defeat side pyramid and galleva beams.
The clinical picture of the disease are very stereotypical. At the forefront are the phenomena of paraplegia lower extremities.
In the initial stages of the phenomenon of paresis observed sometimes in the muscles of the trunk, upper limbs, and even neck, there are also violations of urination (painful reinforced urge that patients should immediately follow, otherwise incontinent) and disorders of blood circulation in the lower limbs (sense of cold, sometimes burning, cyanosis, lowering skin temperature). During the subacute, after a few months of painful phenomenon reaches a maximum, and then (if the rank excluded from food) is declining. Disorders of the pelvic organs are generally transient in nature. As the only symptom transferred poisoning remains typical spastic paraplegia lower extremities paralysis or paresis with increase of a tone of muscles and tendon reflexes, with pathological reflexes, without much atrophy and reactions of rebirth.
The diagnosis is not difficult, if you know the anamnestic data. Forecast in cases where acute phenomena passed, favorable for life and unfavorable concerning the disappearance residual symptoms.
Treatment of symptomatic; the usual methods of treatment of spastic paraplegia ineffective. Prevention is to eliminate from the food lentils Lathyrus.