PULMONARY EMBOLI DUE TO MERCURY AFTER SEL F-INJECTION

We describe a case of pulmonary emboli due to mercury in a female drug addict who was HIV positive and had voluntarily injected herself with mercury. The diagnosis was guided by the history and by the character istics of the chest radiograph and was confirmed by blood and urine le vels of mercury and the radiograph taken of the site of the intravenou s injection. Three years after the injection the patient did not revea l any signs suggesting disturbance due to the chronic pulmonary exposu re to mercury, but there was a reduced carbon monoxide transfer whose interpretation was difficult due to the past respiratory history and t o the drug addiction.