Abstract
IntroductionA great deal of data regarding the toxicology of mercury has been recently reported. Although the most common human exposures to mercury are currently mercury vapour from amalgam tooth fillings, methylmercury from seafood and ethylmercury as a preservative in vaccines, in the past mercury compounds have been used in the treatment of syphilis.Case presentationMercury intoxication was found in a 67 year-old Italian man affected by neurological symptoms of apparently unknown origin. The patient developed syphilis forty years ago and then underwent therapy with mercurials to treat his chronic bacterial infection. We treated the patient with disodium edetate chelation therapy.Six months after the beginning of the therapy, the patient's neurological symptoms began to decrease, and were completely cured after two years of therapy.ConclusionThis case supports the use of chelation therapy with disodium edetate to remove damages caused by mercury intoxication.
Highlights
A great deal of data regarding the toxicology of mercury has been recently reported
Six months after the beginning of the therapy, the patient's neurological symptoms began to decrease, and were completely cured after two years of therapy. This case supports the use of chelation therapy with disodium edetate to remove damages caused by mercury intoxication
During the first years of this period arsenicals, mercurials, malaria therapy and heat therapy were used, these treatments were progressively replaced by the use of penicillin [1]
Summary
Between 1916 and 1955 important advances were made in the treatment of syphilis. During the first years of this period arsenicals, mercurials, malaria therapy and heat therapy were used, these treatments were progressively replaced by the use of penicillin [1]. A year after EDTA chelation therapy was initiated, on 7 September 2005, we carried out the second evaluation of heavy metal levels in the hair (Figure 1B). It showed a very significant increase of mercury levels (11 μg/g) and the normalization of bismuth levels (0.021 μg/g). We continued chelation therapy once a week for another year and on 29 September 2006 carried out the third evaluation of heavy metal levels in the hair (Figure 1C) This evaluation showed mercury levels of 1.6 μg/g. We administered chelation therapy once monthly to the patient until hair mercury levels were normal During these periods, the neurological symptoms of the patient (anxiety, depression, insomnia) completely disappeared, his muscular skeletal cramps improved. At the end of the chelation therapy, we have measured the urine mercury levels after a 12-h period collection following the EDTA challenge: they were < 4 μg/g creatinine
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