Cobalt toxicity
Background
- Cobalt is essential for life as a catalytic center for vitamin B12. Toxicity is rare.
- Cobalt toxicity has been reported through the following exposures:[1]
- Orthopedic hip prostheses containing cobalt
- Work-related cobalt exposure
- Excessive drinking of beer containing cobalt sulfate
Clinical Features[2]
- Neurologic Dysfunction
- Hearing impairment
- Cognitive impairment
- Parasthesias
- Cardiovascular Dysfunction
- Beer drinkers' (dilated) cardiomyopathy
- Dyspnea
- Atrial fibrillation
- Thyroid Dysfunction
Differential Diagnosis
Heavy metal toxicities
- Aluminum toxicity
- Antimony toxicity
- Arsenic toxicity
- Barium toxicity
- Beryllium toxicity
- Bismuth toxicity
- Boron toxicity
- Cadmium toxicity
- Cesium toxicity
- Chromium toxicity
- Cobalt toxicity
- Copper toxicity
- Gold toxicity
- Iron toxicity
- Lead toxicity
- Lithium toxicity
- Manganese toxicity
- Mercury toxicity
- Nickel toxicity
- Phosphorus toxicity
- Platinum toxicity
- Selenium toxicity
- Silver toxicity
- Thallium toxicity
- Tin toxicity
- Vanadium toxicity
- Zinc toxicity
Evaluation
Management
There is no consensus regarding treatment of patients with systemic symptoms of cobalt toxicity[3]
- Manage symptoms supportively
- Treat hypothyroidism (thyroid replacement therapy)
- Treat cardiomyopathy(beta-blockers/ACE-inhibitors/diuresis)
- No conclusive evidence for plasmapheresis or chelation therapy[4]
Disposition
See Also
- Toxicology (main)
- Heavy Metals
External Links
References
- ↑ Simonsen, L., 2012. Cobalt metabolism and toxicology—A brief update.
- ↑ Devlin, J., 2021. Clinical Features, Testing, and Management of Patients with Suspected Prosthetic Hip-Associated Cobalt Toxicity: a Systematic Review of Cases.
- ↑ Dwyer, J., 2021. Final Diagnosis-Elevated Blood Cobalt Levels in Patients with Metal-on-Metal Prosthesis. [online] Available at: <https://path.upmc.edu/cases/case806/dx.html> [Accessed 28 June 2021].
- ↑ Mohan, N., 2016. Identification and Management of Cobalt Toxicity: A Case Report of Rapidly Progressing Toxicity after Hip Arthroplasty Revision. [online] Jdc.jefferson.edu. Available at: <https://jdc.jefferson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1359&context=tmf> [Accessed 28 June 2021].
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