Table 3.

Mechanisms of respiratory system damage from cosmetic-related mercury poisoning

Clinical presentation	Potential mechanism
Chemical-induced bronchitis	Mercury vapor induces corrosive inflammation of the airways, leading to the shedding and necrosis of tracheal epithelial cells at various levels.
Pulmonary edema	Damage to epithelial cells results in their detachment and subsequent obstruction of the airway lumen. This is accompanied by tissue edema, telangiectasia, and inflammatory cell infiltration.
Interstitial pneumonia	Infiltration of inflammatory cells and extensive proliferation of fibroblasts in the interstitial lung tissue are observed [27,28].