Pustular eruption following acute mercury exposure

Pustular eruptions are often overlooked complications of mercury exposure. A 35-year-old woman with a history of contact dermatitis to Mercurochrome® in childhood presented with generalized erythema with a symmetrical reinforcement in the flexures 2 days after exposure to a broken mercury thermometer. She was febrile with no other clinical or biological signs. Blood and urinary mercury levels were within normal range. Histology of a pustular lesion of the thigh showed eczematiform and pustular changes. Patch tests evidenced sensitization to several mercury derivatives, but not to other allergens from the ICDRG standard battery, except for nickel. This case report further illustrates that inhalation of mercury vapour can result in systemic contact dermatitis, sometimes called baboon syndrome or acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis. Copyright © 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.