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Neurological rarities
Mercury poisoning in a bodybuilder
  1. Marc Edwards1,
  2. Rob Powell2
  1. 1Neurology Department, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea, UK
  2. 2Neurology, Morriston Hospital, Swansea, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Marc Edwards, Neurology Department, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea SA6 6NL, UK; marc.edwards{at}wales.nhs.uk

Abstract

A 64-year-old man had progressive unsteadiness over several years, with tingling in his feet. He was a longstanding bodybuilding enthusiast. Clinical assessment and neurophysiology confirmed a cerebellar ataxia and axonal peripheral neuropathy. His serum mercury concentration was significantly raised. We diagnosed chronic mercury toxicity secondary to excessive tuna consumption. We advised him to stop eating tuna and prescribed dimercaptosuccinic acid, after which his serum mercury concentrations subsequently fell. This case report highlights the importance of considering dietary and nutritional causes of neurological disease. We also discuss the mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of mercury toxicity.

  • CEREBELLAR ATAXIA
  • TOXICOLOGY
  • PHARMACOLOGY
  • NEUROPATHY

Data availability statement

All data relevant to the study are included in the article.

https://doi.org/10.1136/pn-2023-003827

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    Data availability statement

    All data relevant to the study are included in the article.

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @hwrpowell

    • Contributors ME was the primary author of the case report. RP reviewed and edited the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned. Externally peer reviewed by Freddie Vonberg, London, UK.

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