Summary

Acute intoxication from the pesticide aluminium phosphide is a relatively rare, life-threatening condition in which cardiovascular decompensation is the most feared problem. We report the case of a patient exposed to aluminium phosphide-liberated phosphine gas. It resulted in the development of a gastroenteritis-like syndrome accompanied by severe reduction in white blood cell numbers as an early and prominent manifestation. By affecting important physiological processes such as mitochondrial function and reactive oxygen species homeostasis, phosphine could cause severe toxicity. After presenting the characteristics of certain leucocyte subpopulations we provide the current molecular understanding of the observed leukopenia which in part seems paradoxical.