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Abstract
Pink disease was once a widespread phenomenon, known to physicians throughout the Western world. Its prevalence declined massively once the source, mercury, was identified in several products. In modern medicine, pink disease rarely forms a differential and is known only to few physicians, despite the long-term effects of this illness. This report details a case of a man who suffered from pink disease as a child following his mother applying teething powder containing inorganic mercury to his gums for 12 weeks, from the age of 6 months. He received no treatment at the time. Throughout his lifetime, however, the man (in his 70s) has been diagnosed as infertile, and with bronchiectasis, despite a lack of convincing history to suggest an aetiology. The cause of these pathologies remains elusive, either organically occurring or components of Young’s syndrome.
- General practice / family medicine
- Medical management
- Public health
- Respiratory medicine
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Footnotes
Contributors MB: writing of the case report, follow-up history taking and communication with the patient. VH: initial oversight and assistance with communicating with patient. NA: diagnosis, clarification on content and guidance on revisions and guarantor.
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.
Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.