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[Elemental mercury embolism in the lung].

V Botnaru1, A Gavriliuc, Violeta Mihalache

  • 1Catedra Medicină Internă nr. 2, Universitatea de Stat de Medicinal si Farmacie "Nicolae Testemiţanu", Chişinău, Republica Moldova.

Pneumologia (Bucharest, Romania)
|August 20, 2005
PubMed
Summary

A case report details an 18-year-old man who self-injected elemental mercury, leading to lung embolism. Fortunately, he recovered well with no long-term organ damage observed at two-year follow-up.

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Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Radiology
  • Case Reports

Background:

  • Parenteral self-injection of elemental mercury is a rare and dangerous practice, often associated with substance abuse.
  • Elemental mercury can cause severe systemic toxicity if absorbed or embolized.

Observation:

  • An 18-year-old male presented after deliberate parenteral self-injection of elemental mercury.
  • Radiological imaging (chest X-ray) revealed mercury deposits in the lungs and at the injection site.

Findings:

  • The patient experienced an elemental mercury embolism to the lungs.
  • Despite the embolism, the patient showed no signs of renal, gastrointestinal, or neurological toxicity at the two-year follow-up.
  • The clinical and radiological course was favorable, with complete recovery.

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Implications:

  • This case highlights the potential for survival and recovery from elemental mercury embolism, even after deliberate self-injection.
  • It underscores the importance of radiological monitoring in suspected mercury exposure cases.
  • The findings suggest that immediate systemic toxicity is not inevitable and long-term outcomes can be positive with appropriate management.