lead poisoning

Definition: acute or chronic intoxication by lead or any of its salts; symptoms of acute lead poisoning usually are those of acute gastroenteritis in adults or encephalopathy in children; chronic lead poisoning is manifested chiefly by anemia, constipation, colicky abdominal pain, neuropathy with paralysis with wrist-drop involving the extensor muscles of the forearm, bluish lead line of the gums, and interstitial nephritis; saturnine gout, convulsions, and coma may occur.

Synonym(s): plumbism, saturnism

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