[Voluntary mercury poisoning: biological consequences and psychiatric significance].
A young patient suffering from schizophrenia had intense headaches and photophobia which were induced by intra-ocular injections of mercury. The clinical diagnosis was established once foreign bodies were visualized on regular X-rays of the patients skull. The mercury intoxication in combination with the secondary irreversible lesions to the eyes necessitated a bilateral enucleation and the use of a chelating treatment with sodium-dimercapto-1-propane sulfate (DMP). Automutilation is a very rare and dramatic complication of schizophrenia. The psychiatric handling and meaning of such dramatic automutilation is discussed in this case report together with a recent review of the toxicologic treatment of mercury intoxication in humans.
Jornod
P
P
Département de Médecine Interne-B, CHUV, Lausanne.
Vannotti
M
M
Dascal
D R
DR
Auer
C
C
Berode
M
M
Savolainen
H
H
Buclin
T
T
Nicod
P
P
Waeber
G
G
D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005129:Eye Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D010348:Patient Care Team; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology