Ocular manifestations of mercury poisoning

One hundred patients suffering from organomercury poisoning who were hospitalized in the Medical City, University of Baghdad, were examined ophthalmologically in the period between March and December 1972, and were reviewed again about 10 months later.The examination included clinical signs and symptoms, slit lamp examination of the anterior segment of the eyes, examination for visual field changes and, in the autopsied cases, analysis of the optic nerve and the occipital cortex. In addition, aqueous humour was aspirated in 10 patients and in 10 controls for the estimation of the mercury level.