An Unusual Cause of High Density Radiological Opacities
| Autor: | Rajaram Manju, Leo Sneha, Ravindra Chary, G. Vishnukanth |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine medicine.medical_specialty medicine.medical_treatment Urinary system Mercury poisoning 030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging 03 medical and health sciences Fatal Outcome 0302 clinical medicine Weight loss Hounsfield scale Humans Medicine Chelation therapy Chelating Agents business.industry medicine.disease Respiratory failure 030220 oncology & carcinogenesis Radiological weapon Mercury Poisoning Hemodialysis Radiology medicine.symptom Pulmonary Embolism Respiratory Insufficiency business |
| Zdroj: | Advances in Respiratory Medicine. 88:157-159 |
| ISSN: | 2543-6031 |
| DOI: | 10.5603/arm.2020.0091 |
| Popis: | Introduction: Metallic mercury poisoning through intravenous injection is rare, especially as part of a suicide attempt. Diagnosis and treatment of the disease are challenging as clinical features are not specific. Material and metods: A 41-year-old male presented with dyspnea, fatigue, loss of weight, and loss of appetite over two months. Routine radiological examination by chest X-ray and CT showed randomly distributed high density opacities with Hounsfield units (HU) around 500 HU all over the body. The diagnosis was then confirmed with a urinary mercury concentration of > 1000 mcg/24 h. Results: The patient’s clinical condition was getting worse in spite of chelation therapy and hemodialysis. The patient eventually died because of respiratory failure. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are critical for intravenous mercury poisoning especially because there are no specific signs or symptoms. There should be a high level of suspicion in drug abusers. Treatment should involve the combined use of chelating agents and other treatments such as hemodialysis and plasma exchange in advanced clinical settings. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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