A Case of Polyneuropathy Associated with Methyl Bromide Intoxication

Lee, Hyung Jae; Oh, Se Won; Lee, Jong Seong; Chae, Hong Jae; Moon, Jai Dong

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis and treatment of intoxication induced by methyl bromide depends on the patient's exposure history. In the present case, the patient showed various neurologic symptoms which were helpful to confirm the diagnosis and to determine the concentration of bromide ion in his body. The reduction rate of bromide ion concentration was another important clue to estimate the patient's health state in treatment.
CASE REPORT
Some neurologic disorders were manifested in a 35-year-old man who had been engaged in a fumigation company for 12 years. Although he had been complaining of abnormal symptoms for 10 days, he had left his work only 3 days before being admitted to our hospital in serious state via the emergency department. Comprehensive clinical evaluations confirmed he was suffering from polyneuropathy, optic neuropathy and cerebellar signs. We diagnosed his condition as methyl bromide intoxication, and ruled out other possible diseases, after taking his occupational history and evaluating the elevation of bromide ion concentration in the sampled blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid. With decreasing bromide ion concentration, his abnormal symptoms improved and he was discharged 22 days after admission without any neurologic sequela.
CONCLUSION
This case report confirmed the usefulness of measuring the concentrations of bromide ion in the diagnosis of methyl bromide intoxication. We therefore suggest that the regular measuring of bromide ion concentration be included in the occupation specified health examination.