[Acute pneumonitis caused by inhalation of mercury vapor--report of a case].

Two characteristics, volatility and biotransformation, make mercury somewhat unique as environmental toxicant, and make mercury poisoning as one of occupational diseases in the industry. Acute mercury vapor poisoning is a rare event. It often occurs during industrial accident or ignorant experiment. We report a case, a 28-year-old male waterworks technician, who developed dyspnea, cough, chest pain, metallic taste and ache in the whole body three hours after heating approximately 30 ml of liquid mercury during an experiment. Diarrhea with tarry stool occurred the next day. Chest roentgenogram revealed diffuse pulmonary infiltrates similar to pulmonary edema in both lungs, and was complicated by pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema later. The concentration of mercury in the plasma was over the toxic level. The urinary excretion of mercury greatly exceeded normal value. During hospitalization, the patient's liver and renal function tests were both normal. He was treated with penicillamine, 300 mg every six hours orally for 10 days in addition to a support treatment and oxygen therapy. He was discharged on the 15th hospital day with partial resolution of pulmonary infiltrates and was free of symptom.