Neurologic disorders associated with exposure to inorganic and organic forms of MERCURY. Acute intoxication may be associated with gastrointestinal disturbances, mental status changes, and PARAPARESIS. Chronic exposure to inorganic mercury usually occurs in industrial workers, and manifests as mental confusion, prominent behavioral changes (including psychosis), DYSKINESIAS, and NEURITIS. Alkyl mercury poisoning may occur through ingestion of contaminated seafood or grain, and its characteristic features include POLYNEUROPATHY; ATAXIA; vision loss; NYSTAGMUS, PATHOLOGIC; and DEAFNESS. (From Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1997, Ch20, pp10-15)
Also Known As:
Minamata Disease; Mercury Poisoning, Nervous System; Encephalopathy, Mercury; Inorganic Mercury Poisoning; Mad Hatter Disease; Mad Hatter's Disease; Mercurial Neuroanesthenia; Mercurial Psychosis; Mercury Poisoning, Inorganic; Mercury Poisoning, Neurologic; Mercury Poisoning, Organic; Mercury Psychosis; Organic Mercury Poisoning; Mad Hatter Diseases; Mad Hatters Disease; Mercury Induced Nervous System Diseases; Mercury Neurotoxicity Syndrome; Mercury Neurotoxicity Syndromes; Nervous System Diseases, Mercury Induced; Nervous System Mercurialism; Neuroanesthenia, Mercurial; Neurologic Mercurialism; Neurologic Mercury Poisoning; Neurotoxicity Syndromes, Mercury; Poisoning, Inorganic Mercury; Poisoning, Neurologic Mercury; Poisoning, Organic Mercury; Psychosis, Mercurial; Psychosis, Mercury; Syndrome, Mercury Neurotoxicity; Syndromes, Mercury Neurotoxicity; System Mercurialism, Nervous; Mercurialism, Nervous System; Mercurialism, Neurologic; Mercury Encephalopathy; Mercury-Induced Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases, Mercury-Induced; Nervous System Poisoning, Mercury; Neurotoxicity Syndrome, Mercury; Poisoning, Mercury, Nervous System; Poisoning, Mercury, Neurologic