Thrombocytopenia caused by a Tea Beverage of Taxus yunnanensis (Chinese Yew)

Abstract

A 53-year-old woman presented at our hospital due to nasal bleeding and petechiae with profound thrombocytopenia (0.4×109/L). Her platelet count returned to the normal range immediately following a platelet transfusion. In this case, tea brewed from Taxus yunnanensis was the only suspected agent ingested prior to the onset of thrombocytopenia while all other etiologies for thrombocytopenia were excluded. A re-exposure test to Taxus yunnanensis resulted in the recurrence of acute thrombocytopenia. The association of thrombocytopenia with substances other than drugs has so far only been rarely described and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of thrombocytopenia caused by Taxus yunnanensis.