Abstract
OBJECTİVE
Mercury is a toxic substance. Scientific experiments using mercury are still
performed in some laboratories in schools.
Mercury evaporates in the room temperature and enters the body by inhalation.
Smaller children are prone to toxic effects of
mercury. We report an intoxication case with mercury marbles brought home from
a school laboratory.
CASE REPORT
A 3-year-old boy was brought to our clinic for gait disturbance, skin rash,
hoarseness, insomnia, restlessness, recurrent
infections and mental decline. On exam, his lower extremities were edematous,
fingertips were hyperemic, cheeks were
erythematous, deep tendon reflexes could not be elicited, muscle tones were
slightly decreased. EMG was reported as mild
sensory loss; sensory neuropathy(?). Her thyroid functions were abnormal. The
patients’ urine mercury level was 86.8 ug/L
(reference value <10 ug/L). Since all the members of the family could have
been exposed, urinary mercury levels of father,
mother and the other children (8, 12, 14 years old) were measured and the
values were; 162ug/L, 44.2ug/L, 198.89 g/L, 149.7
ug/L and 220.04 ug/L respectively. But they were all asymptomatic. All members
of the family were hospitalized with a
diagnosis of chronic mercury toxication. Chelation therapy with DMPS was started
and continued for five months. The
younger boy recovered neurologically at the end of the fifth month and he was
discharged proposing annual check.
RESULTS
Some important sources of mercury in houses are hand-made cosmetic products,
fluorescent lamb and thermometer. People
who are accidentally exposed to mercury may admit neurology, dermatology or
immunology clinics with non specific
symptoms. The children who are exposed to mercury should
Keywords:
Mercury,
infant, chelation therapy
References
- Meşide Gündüzöz1, Lütfiye Tutkun2, Vugar Ali Türksoy2, Murat Büyükşekerci1, Servet Birgin İritaş3, Sinan Karacabey2, Ömer Hınç Yılmaz4 1Ankara occupational diseases hospital 2Bozok university 3Council of forensic medicine ankara 4Yıldırım Beyazıt university
Abstract
References
- Meşide Gündüzöz1, Lütfiye Tutkun2, Vugar Ali Türksoy2, Murat Büyükşekerci1, Servet Birgin İritaş3, Sinan Karacabey2, Ömer Hınç Yılmaz4 1Ankara occupational diseases hospital 2Bozok university 3Council of forensic medicine ankara 4Yıldırım Beyazıt university
Details
| Journal Section | Articles |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | November 1, 2017 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2017 Volume 2, Issue 1(4) |