Accidental subcutaneous injection of elemental mercury. A case report.


Published online: Jun 27 2000

C Maynou, M Mathieu-Nolf, H Mestdagh, and G Gillas-Buron.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery A, Hospital R. Salengro, Lille, France.

Abstract

Subcutaneous injection of elemental mercury is a very rare situation. The authors report the case of a 31-year-old man who accidentally injected an unknown quantity of metallic mercury into his left forearm. Several surgical procedures were required to reduce the blood and urinary levels of mercury. However, the patient never developed clinical signs of chronic poisoning. This observation confirms the lower risk of acute or chronic poisoning in subcutaneous injection of mercury and the need for early excision of contaminated tissue.

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