Acute renal attack after treatment with Carapa Procera oil: two cases at the Ziguinchor Peace Hospital (Senegal West Africa) and review of the literature

Abstract

We describe two cases of impaired secondary renal function to a Carapa Procera taking as part of traditional treatment in Ziguinchor, southern Senegal. The certain or suspected toxicity of Carapa Procera is little known in the literature. In the two reported observations, no cause but the traditional treatment was found to explain the clinical picture presented. The development was favorable in all cases after medical treatment and a few hemodialysis sessions. we insist on the difficult context of investigation of these accidents, on the medical ignorance of these practices in sub-Saharan Africa and in Senegal in particular, as well as on the necessary collaboration with local botanists knowledgeable in traditional medicine.