Progressive encephalopathy due to chronic exposure to lead

A 70-year-old man reported a 2-year history of progressive gait imbalance and cognitive decline (memory, executive functions, and language impairment). A physical examination revealed spastic ataxia without peripheral involvement. The patient worked with car battery solutions for 40 years, until 13...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria 2022-10, Vol.80 (10), p.1079-1080
Main Authors: Aquino, Bárbara Cristina Vieira de, Pessoa Neto, Agábio Diógenes, Freire, Mariana Galvão de Lima Martins, Fidelix, Emanuela Coriolano, Brito, Paulo Santiago de Morais, Moreira Neto, Manuel, Silva, Rodrigo Alencar e, Godeiro Junior, Clécio de Oliveira
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aminolevulinic acid
Ataxia
Brain
Brain Diseases
Chronic exposure
Cognitive ability
Encephalopathy
Gait
Humans
Images in Neurology
Leukoencephalopathy
Poisoning
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Summary:A 70-year-old man reported a 2-year history of progressive gait imbalance and cognitive decline (memory, executive functions, and language impairment). A physical examination revealed spastic ataxia without peripheral involvement. The patient worked with car battery solutions for 40 years, until 13 years ago. He had several hospitalizations due to acute lead poisoning, with levels of lead in the blood and urinary delta-aminolevulinic acid of 162,8 g/dl and 20 mg/U (normal: up to 40g/dl and 4,5 mg/U) respectively). Recent brain neuroimages showed typical findings of saturnism (► Figure l),2 with normal bone profile blood tests. Therefore, chronic lead poisoning should be remembered as an environmental cause of leukoencephalopathy.
ISSN:0004-282X
1678-4227
DOI:10.1055/s-0042-1758393