Argyria, an Unexpected Case of Skin Discoloration From Colloidal Silver Salt Ingestion.

BACKGROUND

Argyria is a rare condition characterized by gray/blue dislocation of the skin caused by chronic exposure to silver salts.

CASE REPORT: We review the case of an 81-year-old man who presented to the emergency department after a motor vehicle accident, was incidentally found to have skin discoloration, and was ultimately diagnosed with argyria. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Although most emergency physicians will not complete a toxicology fellowship, all emergency physicians are on the front line of toxicological presentations and should be able to recognize argyria and differentiate this condition from other causes of skin discoloration.