A Case of Mercury Intoxication Presenting Cerebellar Ataxia

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 20(4); 2002 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 2002;20(4): 425-427.

소뇌실조증을 보인 수은중독 1예

이학영, 이미숙 윤성상 이태규 장대일 정경천

경희대학교 의과대학 신경과학교실

A Case of Mercury Intoxication Presenting Cerebellar Ataxia

Hak-Young Rhee

Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University

Abstract

"Mercury poisoning affects various organs including peripheral and central nervous systems, especially cerebellum. We report a case of mercury intoxication presenting cerebellar ataxia. From several days after exposure to mercury vapor, scanning speech, head titu-bation, bilateral limb and truncal ataxia developed and progressed slowly. On admission, brain MRI did not show remarkable change. However, nine months later, atrophic changes in both cerebellar hemispheres on follow-up brain MRI and perfusion defects in same areas on brain SPECT were found. Key Words : Mercury, Poisoning, Ataxia"