PMC4531943_01
Top: chest radiograph on admission shows bilateral extensive patchy air-space consolidation. Bottom: HRCT scan taken 2 days after exposure shows bilateral air-space consolidation, especially in dependent portions. Note ground-glass opacity adjacent to the consolidation.
kjim-13-2-127-10f1.jpg
PMC4531943_01_kjim-13-2-127-10f1.jpg
f1-kjim-13-2-127-10
On the second day after exposure, chest radiography revealed bilateral diffuse pulmonary infiltrates (Fig. 1. Top) and bilateral air-space consolidation on high resolution computerized tomography of chest (HRCT), especially in the dependent portion (Fig. 1.
There is interstitial edema and small amount of fibrin deposition. Gray-black granular pigments suggestive of mercury pigments are noted in the edematous septae (H&E stain, X200).
kjim-13-2-127-10f2.jpg
PMC4531943_01_kjim-13-2-127-10f2.jpg
f2-kjim-13-2-127-10
Transbronchial lung biopsy revealed a chemical pneumonitis, suggestive of pulmonary change of early acute lung injury induced by the exposure to mercury vapors (Fig. 2).
Top: follow-up chest radiograph shows that bilateral consolidation is markedly improved with residual opacity in the right lower lung field.. Bottom: follow-up HRCT scan shows mild peribronchovascular interstitial thickening and mild interlobular septal thickening, especially in the dependent portion.
kjim-13-2-127-10f3.jpg
PMC4531943_01_kjim-13-2-127-10f3.jpg
f3-kjim-13-2-127-10
The follow-up chest X-ray showed a much-improved state (Fig. 3. Brain MRI showed old cerebral infarction in the right frontal lobe, and a follow-up HRCT in chest showed interstitial fibrosis of both lung fields, especially in the dependent portions (Fig. 3.