General description

Minamata disease is a neurological disorder caused by methylmercury poisoning, which results from the accumulation of methylmercury in seafood through the food chain, primarily due to industrial wastewater contamination. Methylmercury is highly absorbable through the digestive tract, has a slow excretion rate, and tends to accumulate in the body. It readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, with a strong affinity for the central nervous system.

Symptoms of Minamata disease include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, loss of peripheral vision, and impaired hearing and speech. In severe cases, it can lead to insanity, paralysis, coma, and death within weeks of symptom onset.

Radiographic features

Organic mercury tends to accumulate in the calcarine sulcus (visual center) of the occipital lobe, the superior temporal gyrus (auditory center) of the temporal lobe, the pre- and post-central gyri, and the cerebellum. MRI shows atrophy in these areas, often accompanied by T2WI and FLAIR hyperintensity in the calcarine cortex.