Haff Syndrome it is a health problem characterized by intense muscle pain that starts abruptly in less than 24 hours after eating fish. It is a rare clinical syndrome that has a good prognosis when the patient is quickly diagnosed and properly treated. It is believed that the syndrome occurs as a result of a toxin present in the fishes, however, so far, she has not been identified.
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What is Haff syndrome?
Haff's syndrome, also called Haff's disease, can be defined as a syndrome consisting of unexplained rhabdomyolysis. By rhabdomyolysis it is understood a situation in which there is injury of skeletal muscle, triggering the release of intracellular components into the circulation, such as proteins sarcoplasmic and myoglobin.
Haff's syndrome begins after eating fish and is characterized by causing muscle pain (myalgia) that start abruptly and are associated at high levels of enzyme CPK (creatine phosphokinase). people with the syndrome
may have myoglobinuria, condition in which a urine reddish-brown in color due to the presence of myoglobin, and progression to renal failure. The dark color of urine in patients with the syndrome has made it known also as “black urine syndrome”.
History of Haff syndrome
In 1924, doctors working in the coastal region of Königsberg Haff, near the coast of the Baltic Sea, observed the outbreak of a disease characterized by the onset of severe muscle stiffness often accompanied by the shedding of urine. dark. Some of the individuals with the disease died, while others recovered quickly.
In subsequent years, outbreaks similar to those observed in 1924 occurred. Among those who got sick, a common factor was noticed: the ingestion of fish, usually cooked. It is believed that the disease is related to the presence of some toxin, which has no characteristic taste or odor. The toxin can also be thermostable, as many people who have had the syndrome have eaten cooked fish.
The syndrome has been reported in several parts of the world, including Brazil. One of the most recent cases occurred in 2021, when a 31-year-old veterinarian was hospitalized in Recife (PE), with symptoms of this rare syndrome. The victim began to feel unwell after eating a fish at a family lunch. She had muscle pain and stiffness and was hospitalized, but she did not survive.
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The syndrome is rare and therefore difficult to diagnose. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the appearance of symptoms such as vomiting, nauseaat, diarrhea and muscle pain after eating fish.
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Haff syndrome symptoms
Haff syndrome presents symptoms less than 24 hours after eating fish. Symptoms like diffuse muscle pain, muscle stiffness, numbness, loss of strength throughout the body, dark colored urine and shortness of breath after eating fish may indicate a case of the syndrome. Patients with Haff syndrome, in general, do not present fever no increase in liver and spleen. Most patients with the syndrome recover quickly.
Diagnosis of Haff syndrome
As it is not clear what causes Haff syndrome, there are no specific tests to diagnose the problem. Diagnosis is therefore based on analysis of symptoms and the patient's history in order to find out if fish has been ingested. Muscle pain and stiffness and the elimination of dark urine after eating these foods may indicate Haff syndrome.
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Haff syndrome treatment
Haff syndrome does not have a specific treatment. facing the damage that the syndrome can cause. The doctor will use techniques and medications to relieve, for example, pain and shortness of breath as well as help the functioning of the kidneys when they are compromised. In some cases, the patient does not need any intervention.
By Vanessa Sardinha dos Santos
Biology teacher
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SANTOS, Vanessa Sardinha dos. "Haff Syndrome"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/doencas/sindrome-de-haff.htm. Accessed on July 27, 2021.
