| Sulfhemoglobinemia | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Hematology |
| Symptoms | Cyanosis, urinary tract infection and chronic constipation |
| Complications | Hypoxemia, methemoglobinemia, and hypoxia |
| Duration | 100-120 days (lifespan of red blood cells) |
| Causes | Sulfur medications such as phenacetin, metoclopramide, dapsone, phenzopyridine, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole; hydrogen-sulfide-producing intestinal bacteria, such as Morganella morganii |
| Risk factors | Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation |
| Prevention | Avoidance of sulfur-containing compounds including drugs |
| Treatment | Blood transfusions |
Sulfhemoglobinemia is a rare condition in which there is excess sulfhemoglobin (SulfHb) in the blood. The pigment is a greenish derivative of hemoglobin which cannot be converted back to normal, functional hemoglobin. It causes cyanosis even at low blood levels.
It is a rare blood condition in which the β-pyrrole ring of the hemoglobin molecule has the ability to bind irreversibly to any substance containing a sulfur atom.[1][2] When hydrogen sulfide (H2S) (or sulfide ions) and ferrous ions combine in the heme of hemoglobin, the blood is thus incapable of transporting oxygen to the tissues.
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