title: A rare case of self-injection of elemental mercury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Self-injection of elemental mercury is a rare finding especially in healthy people who are mentally sound. Early detection and removal of mercury from the body by chelation and physical removal of a stored injected site is required to prevent long term toxicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 15 year old previously healthy girl presented with an acute febrile illness with a generalized maculopapular skin rash for 3 days with a preceding history of self-injection of mercury to both her forearms. This was an imitating experimental act influenced by a movie and she was mentally sound. Very high whole blood mercury levels, x-rays of the forearms and histology confirmed mercury poisoning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-injection of elemental mercury can also occur in mentally sound people and rapid diagnosis and decontamination is required. This also signifies the importance of imposing limitations for visual media which could misguide minors and lead those to imitate and cause serious self-harm.
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka. thanujatissera@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Singankutti Mudalige
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Thanuja Nilushi Priyangika
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: W G S G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Karunarathna
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Isurujith
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Liyanage
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Methsala
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gunawardana
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Buddini
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dissanayake
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Sumeda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Udumalgala
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Chamith
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Thilina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Samarasinghe
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Pravin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wijesinghe
authors.affiliation: National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Aruna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kulatunga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008628:Mercury / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012646:Self Administration; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury
keywords: Chelation; Elemental mercury; Mentally sound; Self-injection