Argyria Symptoms, Causes & More
Article Sources
- 1. Wadhera, Akhil, and Max Fung. ‘Systemic Argyria Associated with Ingestion of Colloidal Silver.’ Dermatology Online Journal, 1 Jan. 2005, escholarship.org/uc/item/0832g6d3
- 2. Bracey, Nathan A, et al. ‘Argyria Caused by Chronic Ingestion of Silver.’ CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De L'Association Medicale Canadienne, Joule Inc., 5 Feb. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5798984/#:~:text=Argyria refers to benign grey,/doi:10.1503/cmaj
- 3. Almurayshid, Abdurrahman, et al. ‘Effective Laser Treatment Options for Argyria: Review of Literatures.’ Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 3 July 2020, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jocd.13549
Diagnosis
Doctors may test blood, stool and urine samples to diagnose argyria.2Bracey, Nathan A, et al. ‘Argyria Caused by Chronic Ingestion of Silver.’ CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De L’Association Medicale Canadienne, Joule Inc., 5 Feb. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5798984/#:~:text=Argyria refers to benign grey,/doi:10.1503/cmaj These tests determine whether someone has come into contact with silver in the past few days. A skin biopsy may also be necessary. It involves viewing a skin sample under a microscope to check for the presence of silver particles.
The doctors may need to rule out other conditions that may cause skin discoloration. These include exogenous ochronosis, chrysiasis and hemochromatosis, also known as iron overload.
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