[NOTE: Although this is just a report on a single case, it does show that treatment for elevated lead can indeed have a positive effect on the person. This is an unresolved controversy at present time, made more so because the use of chelation is under attack from persons who are more interested in the political and economic fallout of toxic metal pollution than they are they welfare of those persons who are exposed to said pollution.]
Pre- and Posttreatment MR Imaging Findings in Lead
Encephalopathy
A.L. Atrea, P.R. Shindea, S.N. Shindea, R.S. Wadiaa, A.A.
Nanivadekara, S.J. Vaida and R.S. Shindea
a From the Department of Radiology, Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune,
Maharashtra, India
Address correspondence to Ashish L. Atre, MD, Department of
Radiology, Ruby Hall Clinic, 40-Sassoon Rd, Pune, Maharashtra, India
SUMMARY: A 41-year-old man suspected of having lead poisoning was evaluated with MR imaging before and after British antilewisite therapy. The MR imaging findings showed bilateral symmetric involvement of the occipital lobe, affecting predominantly the gray-white matter junction and the subcortical white matter. A right cerebellar lesion was noted, with focal hyperintensities involving the gray-white matter. Similar lesions were seen in the temporal, parietal, and frontal regions. These lesions resolved after chelation therapy.
http://www.ajnr.org/cgi/content/abstract/27/4/902