Acute intravascular hemolysis following accidental ingestion of naphthalene: A rare case report

Naphthalene toxicity, an unusual form of poisoning, is often missed as a probable diagnosis for acute onset of intravascular hemolysis in children. It has an unpredictable clinical course and proper management in children relies heavily on high index of clinical suspicion. We report a rare case of naphthalene toxicity in a 1½-year-old child who presented with acute onset of intravascular hemolysis following accidental ingestion of a single mothball. She was put on supportive therapy. We have reported the present case to highlight the spectrum of acute symptoms that a single accidental ingestion of a moth ball can cause. The idiosyncrasy of the chemical toxicity and the myriad of symptoms that it can cause has to be kept in mind to impart timely and right treatment to save precious human lives.