Adverse Mercurial Reactions in the Form of Acrodynia and Related Conditions

Cited by 36 publications

(21 citation statements)

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“…Chronic poisoning from pure inorganic mercury salt is rare. Its symptoms, though previously described in children as acrodynia or 'Pink Disease', were only formally attributed to inorganic mercury compounds in 1951 by Warkany and Hubbard 18 following a study of mercury containing substances used in teething powders, worm pills, ammoniated mercury ointment, and mercury (II) chloride. It is characterised by severe leg cramps, irritability, paraesthesia (a sensation of pricking in the skin), pink extremities and exfoliation of skin.…”

Section: Inorganic Mercury Saltsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxicity of mercury

1999

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A ruling by the European Union heralds the demise of those useful clinical instruments, the mercury thermometer and the mercury sphygmomanometer. The new laws have been passed because of worries about mercury poisoning. Yet you can drink metallic mercury and come to no harm. What does it all mean? There are three forms of mercury from a toxicological point of view: inorganic mercury salts; organic mercury compounds; and metallic mercury. Inorganic mercury salts are water soluble, irritate the gut, and cause severe kidney damage. Organic mercury compounds, which are fat soluble, can cross the blood brain barrier and cause neurological damage. Mercury metal poses two dangers. It can be vaporised: the vapour pressure at room temperature is about 100 times the safe amount, so Keywords: mercury; toxicity; thermometer; sphygmomanometer Toxicity of mercuryA new European Union directive 1 will prohibit the use of mercury in sphygmomanometers and clinical thermometers. We review here the toxic effect of mercury and its compounds and discuss their relevance to the environment and to modern medicine.The Chinese used mercury (II) sulphide 1000 years before the birth of Christ as the red dye pigment vermilion. It was used similarly in the GraecoRoman world, with both Hippocrates and Galen recording its toxic effects. Since then its toxicity has become well known in metalworkers, miners, felthat manufacturers, dyers and paint manufacturers. Despite this, mercury has been incorporated into the treatment of man's maladies from ancient times. Its main use has been to treat syphilis, from its first appearance in the West in the 15th century up to World War II. 2 Mercury and its salts have at various times been used as antiseptics, skin ointments, laxatives, diuretics, bowel washouts for the treatment of colorectal cancer, and scabicides. It is still used today as a solvent for the silver-tin amalgams used in dental fillings. So how toxic is mercury? The hazards of mercuryThere are substantial differences in toxicity of elemental mercury metal, inorganic mercury salts, poisoning can occur if mercury metal is spilled into crevices or cracks in the floorboards. Dentists are occasionally poisoned this way. Mercury easily crosses into the brain, and causes tremor, depression, and behavioural disturbances. A second danger from metallic mercury is that it is biotransformed into organic mercury, by bacteria at the bottom of lakes. This can be passed along the food chain and eventually to man. It was this process that led to the Japanese tragedy at Minimata Bay in the late 1950s when over 800 people were poisoned. It is the need to reduce mercury contamination of the environment which should encourage us to cut the usage of metallic mercury. However, much more metallic mercury is spilled as waste by the chemical industry than is dropped on the floor in the clinic.

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Section: Inorganic Mercury Saltsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxicity of mercury

1999

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“…Characteristic symptoms are pink hands and feet (hence "pink disease"), desquamation, scarlet cheeks and nosetip, alopecia, salivation, loss of several or all of the teeth, occasional loss of nails or phalanges, excessive perspiration, transient rashes, pronounced hypotonia, itching, burning and severe pain of the extremities, increased pulse rate and blood pressure, photophobia, insomnia, and apathy alternating with extreme irritability. 1 This case shows that apparently low exposure to mercury may lead to overt mercury poisoning through inhalation of mercury vapour. 3,4 Urinary excretion of mercury can be "normal", even in overt acrodynia.…”

Section: Disclaimer/complaints Regulationsmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Acrodynia is seen in children after exposure to mercury. 1 When asked, her mother reported that 2 weeks before the younger child's symptoms started, mercury from a broken thermometer dropped on the carpet in the children's room and had not been retrievable. No other source of mercury poisoning (from cosmetics or medicines) could be identified.…”

Section: Disclaimer/complaints Regulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A hypertensive toddler

1997

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“…Altri esempi sono rappresentati dal riconoscimento dell'intossicazione di grado lieve da mercurio come causa dei disturbi di tipo ansioso, con tremori e nervosismo intenso (Agate & Buckell, 1949), dall'identificazione dell'intossicazione epidemica da mercurio (presente, a quell'epoca, nei dentifrici e nei vermifughi) come responsabile dei disturbi psichici che fanno parte del quadro clinico dell'acrodinia (Warkany & Hubbard, 1951), dal riconoscimento deU'avvelenamento da mercurio, come causa dei disturbi caratterizzati da deterioramento mentale, atas-sia progressiva e tremore intenzionale osservati tra i pescatori dei villaggi della Baia di Minamata (Kurland et al, 1960) ed infine dal caso dell'esposizione al piombo riconosciuta responsabile di disturbi neuropsicologici e deH'apprendimento nei bambini (Rutter, 1980;Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, 1983).…”

Section: Dalla Pratica Psichiatrica All'epidemiologiaunclassified