Mercury content in amalgam tattoos of human oral mucosa and its relation to local tissue reactions

• Published in: European journal of oral sciences 1998-02, Vol.106 (1), p.582
• Main Authors: Forsell, M, Larsson, B, Ljungqvist, A, Carlmark, B, Johansson, O
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biopsy; Blood Vessels - chemistry; Blood Vessels - drug effects; Blood Vessels - pathology; Connective Tissue - chemistry; Connective Tissue - drug effects; Connective Tissue - pathology; Dental Amalgam - adverse effects; Dental Amalgam - analysis; Electron Probe Microanalysis; Epithelium - chemistry; Epithelium - drug effects; Epithelium - pathology; Female; Fibroblasts - chemistry; Fibroblasts - drug effects; Fibroblasts - pathology; Fibrosis; Fluorescence; Granuloma, Foreign-Body - chemically induced; Granuloma, Foreign-Body - metabolism; Granuloma, Foreign-Body - pathology; Humans; Macrophages - chemistry; Macrophages - drug effects; Macrophages - pathology; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Mercury - adverse effects; Mercury - analysis; Middle Aged; Mouth Diseases - chemically induced; Mouth Diseases - metabolism; Mouth Diseases - pathology; Mouth Mucosa - blood supply; Mouth Mucosa - chemistry; Mouth Mucosa - drug effects; Mouth Mucosa - innervation; Mouth Mucosa - pathology; Nerve Fibers - chemistry; Nerve Fibers - drug effects; Nerve Fibers - pathology; Observer Variation; Silver - analysis; Single-Blind Method; Stomatitis - chemically induced; Stomatitis - metabolism; Stomatitis - pathology; Tattooing
• ISSN: 0909-8836
• DOI: 10.1046/j.0909-8836.1998.eos106108.x

Mucosal biopsies from 48 patients with and 9 without amalgam tattoos were analysed with respect to their mercury content, distribution of mercury in the tissue, and histological tissue reactions. The distribution of mercury was assessed by autometallography (AMG), a silver amplification technique. The mercury content was determined by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), a multielemental analysis. Mercury was observed in connective tissue where it was confined to fibroblasts and macrophages, in vessel walls and in structures with the histological character of nerve fibres. A correlation was found between the histopathological tissue reaction, the type of mercury deposition, the intensity of the AMG reaction, and the mercury content. Mercury was also found in patients with amalgam dental fillings but without amalgam tattoos.