Question

A 10-year-old male child came to the casualty with difficulty in walking and pain in the perianal region. On subjecting the specimen from the perianal region to a test, it produces yellow needle-shaped rhombic crystals with picric acid. What is the test done?

• A. Barberio test
• B. Florence test
• C. Teichmann test
• D. Acid phosphatase test

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The situation described involves a forensic test where yellow needle-shaped rhombic crystals are produced with picric acid. This is a specific reaction associated with the Barberio test.

Explanation: The Barberio test is a forensic procedure used to identify nicotine compounds, particularly in tobacco samples. When a substance containing nicotine is treated with picric acid, it produces yellow rhombic crystals. In this case, the test has been applied to a specimen from the perianal region, likely to determine exposure or contact with tobacco products.

The symptomatology of difficulty in walking and pain could be associated with various conditions; however, the test conducted points towards the detection of chemical compounds, in this case, nicotine, which corresponds to the appearance of the crystals.

Test	Characteristic
Barberio test	Yellow needle-shaped rhombic crystals with picric acid
Florence test	Brown rhombic crystals
Teichmann test	Brown crystals (heme derivatives)
Acid phosphatase test	Color change reaction (not crystalline)

As the results specifically mention yellow needle-shaped rhombic crystals, this aligns with the Barberio test, confirming the test is indeed Barberio for nicotine detection.