Acute mercury vapor poisoning. A report of four cases with radiographic and pathologic correlation.

Abstract

Acute mercury poisoning is commonly caused by accidental ingestion of soluble mercurial compounds. The clinical manifestations are an accurate portrayal of the severe ulcerative and necrotizing inflammation of the entire gastrointestinal tract. The excretory organs, the central nervous system, and other internal organs are secondarily involved. More rarely, acute poisoning may result from the inhalation of mercury vapor. In this event, the respiratory epithelium, being the primary site of contact, bears the brunt of the injury, and respiratory symptoms dominate the clinical picture. The central nervous system, kidneys, liver, and gastrointestinal tract may also be affected, usually to a mild degree at most, through absorption in the respiratory tract. Two papers reporting acute mercury vapor poisoning as a result of industrial mishaps (2, 5) and 2 reporting domestic accidents (1, 3) were found in a brief survey of the literature. The common features are (a) the inhalation of mercurial fumes caused by heat...