Dioxin Toxicity and Chloracne in the Ukraine

Dioxin toxicity can lead to severe cutaneous and systemic disease. The poisoning of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko dramatically illustrates the damage dioxin can inflict. The hallmark of dioxin toxicity is chloracne and should alert the clinician to this diagnosis, which can be confirmed by blood tests. Olestra, a non-absorbable, non-digestible fat substitute is a promising new treatment to lower systemic dioxin levels.