Background: Lead poisoning is rare. Intake of lead shots may cause damage of the bone marrow, the nervous system, the liver, the kidneys and the endocrine organs.
Materials and methods: We present two patients who had taken approximately 120 grams of lead shots. They developed asthenia, nausea and abdominal pain. We tried to remove the lead shots with fluids, laxatives and colonoscopy, but ultimately surgical intervention had to be performed. The patients were also treated with dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA).
Results and interpretation: Although DMSA treatment is associated with a significant decrease in blood lead concentration and an increase of lead urinary excretion, surgical intervention is the most efficient way of treating oral intake of lead. Treatment with DMSA will probably have to go on for months in order to give an additional effect.