Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

A whitened face woman with nephrotic syndrome

2002; Elsevier BV; Volume: 41; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1053/ajkd.2003.50017

1523-6838

Yannie Soo, Kai‐Ming Chow, Christopher Wai-Kei Lam, Fernand Mac–Moune Lai, Cheuk‐Chun Szeto, Michael Chan, Philip Kam‐Tao Li,

Melamine detection and toxicity

Skin whitening cream from developing countries is a recognized source of chronic mercury poisoning. The authors report on a 34-year-old Indonesian domestic helper who presented with nephrotic syndrome secondary to membranous nephropathy. It was subsequently found that she used a skin whitening cream regularly that was found to contain a mercury level of almost 2,000 times above the allowable limit. Her blood and urinary mercury levels were both grossly elevated. Her symptoms improved after she stopped using the cream. However, she returned to her home country before chelating therapy could be arranged. Because mercury-containing skin products are still widely available in developing countries, the use of these products should be considered a possible cause of membranous nephropathy in immigrants from those countries. Am J Kidney Dis 41:250-253. © 2003 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.