Mercury as a cause of fulminant hepatic failure in a child: Case report and literature review

Abstract

Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) in children is devastating unless urgent liver transplantation is undergone. Intoxication or drug-related FHF is a well-known group of causes leading to FHF. Mercury intoxication is described in the literature to cause hepatitis but not described to cause DRESS (drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms) syndrome and FHF in the same patient. We describe a child with mercury intoxication and FHF with clinical features fulfilling DRESS syndrome criteria. To our best knowledge, this is the first case report of fatal acute liver failure secondary to mercury intoxication in the English literature. Mercury intoxication should receive a worldwide attention to its consequences in order to minimize the morbidities and mortalities that arise from its intoxication.