Lead Intoxication Treated With D-Penicillamine

Abstract

A 36-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with abdominal pain, nausea, weight loss and malaise. He had worked as a painter for 2 months. Laboratory testing showed anemia, liver dysfunction and elevated blood lead concentration. After administration of oral D-penicillamine, his urinary lead excretion increased significantly. His abdominal pain resolved after 5 days. His clinical course was otherwise uneventful. His anemia and liver dysfunction resolved after 2 months. His blood lead concentration remained normal for a year after discharge without recurrence of plumbism. Physicians should be aware of the clinical features of plumbism because early diagnosis is difficult.




J Med Cases. 2014;5(4):187-193
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc1698w