What is argyria disease?
Argyria is an acquired condition caused by the exposure to or ingestion of silver, and it presents with the insidious onset of gray or blue mucocutaneous discoloration. The word argyria is derived from the ancient Greek word for silver, argyros.
How many cases of argyria have been reported?
Of the 16 cases, 15 described chronic use (ongoing use greater than 2 weeks) with a median duration of 2 years. Commonly reported reasons for use were to boost the immune system, promote well-being, and treat or prevent cold/allergy symptoms.
What is argyria How is this condition treated?
There is currently no cure for argyria, but recent research indicates that laser therapy using the quality switch (QS) laser may significantly improve skin discoloration. The QS laser delivers high-intensity pulses of light to affected areas of skin.
What happens if silver gets in your bloodstream?
When taken by mouth, silver builds up in your body. Over months to years, this can result in a blue-gray discoloration of your skin, eyes, internal organs, nails and gums. Doctors call this argyria (ahr-JIR-e-uh).
How is argyria diagnosed?
To diagnose argyria, your doctor will need to take a small tissue sample from your skin. This is known as a skin biopsy. Microscopic examination of skin cells can reveal the telltale blue-gray pigmentation. Once your diagnosis is confirmed, you can take steps to avoid further exposure to silver.
What are the signs of silver poisoning?
Overexposure to silver may cause a gray discoloration of the skin, hair and internal organs. Additional symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Zinc overexposure may cause the flu-like symptoms of metal fume fever; stomach and intestinal disturbances; and/or liver dysfunction.
How long does it take to develop argyria?
Your skin may start to turn slate-gray, metallic, or blue-gray. This could happen after a few months or years, depending on how much silver you are exposed to. It may only affect one area of skin, or it could change the appearance of all your skin.
How much silver does it take to get argyria?
Argyria can occur when levels reach 4 grams. However, in the majority of cases, blue skin only becomes prevalent after total silver persists at 20 grams or more. Laser surgery has been used to help alleviate the discoloration in some rare cases.
How much silver do you have to ingest to get argyria?
The normal human body contains approximately 1 mg of silver; the smallest amount of silver reported to produce generalized argyria in humans ranges from 4-5 g to 20-40 g. Silver at 50-500 mg/kg body weight is the lethal toxic dose in humans. Bianchi et al report a possible genetic predisposition for argyria.
Can argyria be cured?
Argyria has no cure. However, recent trials with laser treatment are proving to be promising for helping with the skin discoloration. Benefits have been seen with just one treatment. The use of laser treatment for argyria is limited, so more research is needed to determine its efficacy.