Toxicology and Clinical Manifestation of Arsenicosis: An Evaluation

Abstract

Arsenicosis is an adverse health condition due to prolong ingestion of arsenic contaminated water. It is most prevalent in Bangladesh. More than 67 million people in Bangladesh are exposed to 0.05 mg/ liter or above of arsenic in their drinking water and it is now considering a biggest crisis in health and social sector in the modern world. Arsenicosis affects almost all the vital system of the body. Skin involvement is the earliest and commonest feature. Major dermatological manifestations are melanosis, keratosis and skin malignancies. Diagnosis is usually done by history, clinical feature and laboratory analysis. In this article, author describes the extent of arsenicosis in Bangladesh and emphasizes dermatological manifestations of the disease.