Intravenous mercury: a three year follow-up.

CASEREPORT. A previously healthy twenty-six year old woman presented to casualty about one hour after self injection with metallic mercury using her boyfriend's insulin syringe. The mercury had been taken from an old thermometer in an attempt at suicide following an argument. She smoked 20 cigarettes a day; there was no previous medical history. On examination there was some localised inflammation in the right ante-cubital fossa and mercury was palpable subcutaneously. There were no other abnormal physical findings. Radiological examination of the chest and the ante-cubital fossa confirmed the presence of mercury in the forearm veins and in the pulmonary vasculature ( Figs. I and 2).