TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2008//
TI  - Conservative management of elemental mercury retained in the appendix
JO  - Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
A1  - Rusyniak, Daniel E.
A1  - Nanagas, Kristine A.
SP  - 831
EP  - 833
VL  - 46
IS  - 9
N2  - INTRODUCTION: Few cases of mercury sequestration in the appendix appear in the literature. Based on these, both prophylactic appendectomy and non-surgical management have been recommended. We report a case in which a patient with mercury retained in the appendix was managed conservatively without developing mercurialism or appendicitis.  CASE REPORT: A 43-year-old man ingested approximately one tablespoon of elemental mercury after an argument with his wife. An initial abdominal radiograph showed mercury in the pylorus of the stomach and a follow-up x-ray at 72 hours showed mercury localized to the appendix. The patient was treated as an outpatient and examined several times over a 37-day period. He never developed signs of appendicitis. On a follow-up examination 7 months after the ingestion, he was radiographically free of mercury. Periodically throughout his clinical course, blood mercury levels were obtained. Only one, 6 days after ingestion, showed an elevated mercury level of 68 mcg/L (reference range <10 mcg/L). Despite this, the patient never developed signs or symptoms of mercury poisoning.  CONCLUSION: Patients in whom elemental mercury is retained in the appendix, who are without symptoms and have normal gastric mucosa, may be conservatively managed without surgery.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1556-3650
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15563650701846288
ID  - ref1
ER  -