Abstract
BackgroundMercury poisoning can cause damage to multiple organs. Secondary hypertension, which is usually misdiagnosed and mistreated, has been rarely reported in cases of mercury poisoning. MethodsWe herein present 2 cases of hypertension as the main manifestation of mercury poisoning. ResultsCase 1 involved a 42-year-old man with blood pressure of 230/190 mm Hg and urinary mercury level of 131.54 μmol/molCr. The patient had been repeatedly exposed to mercury at his workplace and had been admitted to our department many times. His hypertension quickly normalized after every chelation treatment. Case 2 involved a 10-year-old girl with hypertension (150/110 mm Hg), rash, and convulsions. She was found to have elevated blood levels of renin, angiotensin II, and aldosterone as well as an elevated urinary mercury level. Her hypertension recovered soon after chelation treatment. ConclusionsMercury poisoning can cause secondary hypertension as the main clinical manifestation or together with multiorgan damage. Renin-angiotensin system activation may be involved in the occurrence and development of hypertension.
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