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Case Reports
. 2013 Nov 28;25(1):37.
doi: 10.1186/2052-4374-25-37.

A Case of Lead Poisoning due to a Mixture of Talisman Ash

Han Hui Ye, Jae Uk Jeong, Nak Joon Baek, Chang Yul Choi, Man Joong Jeon, Joon Sakong  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

A Case of Lead Poisoning due to a Mixture of Talisman Ash

Han Hui Ye et al. Ann Occup Environ Med. .

Abstract

Background: Lead is a metal that has no biological function useful for the human body. In Korea, non-occupational exposure to lead has mostly occurred through taking oriental medicine. However, in this paper we report a case of lead poisoning caused by ingesting talisman material.

Case presentation: A 16-year-old male patient complained of severe abdominal pain after taking cinnabar, a talisman material. He was diagnosed with lead poisoning accompanied by acute hepatitis. We confirmed that the cinnabar the patient took contained about 10% elemental lead. After symptom management, the patients' symptoms, liver function test results, and blood lead concentration level improved.

Conclusion: Lead poisoning can be accompanied by hepatitis, although rarely. As we have confirmed that cinnabar as a talisman material is harmful to the human body, measures to prevent its misuse are needed.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cinnabar patient had taken with talisman ash. (A, B) Cinnabar powder (C) A simple X-ray of cinnabar powder.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Basophilic stippling of red cells can be noted in a peripheral blood smear.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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