Tin toxicity

Background

• True tin toxicity is rare, as tin is poorly absorbed in the GI tract (<5%)
• Inorganic tin does not cross blood-brain barrier
• Information on effects of toxicity based primarily on animal/in vitro studies and extrapolation from other heavy metals

Clinical Features

• Inhalation of tin chloride may cause irritation of mucous membranes
• Occupational exposure to tin oxide has be reported to be associated with a benign pneumoconiosis, stannosis
  • Not associated with fibrosis or loss of pulmonary function
• Eating canned food from unlacquered tin cans may cause mild GI upset due to irritation from unabsorbed tin

Differential Diagnosis

• Aluminum toxicity
• Antimony toxicity
• Arsenic toxicity
• Barium toxicity
• Beryllium toxicity
• Bismuth toxicity
• Boron toxicity
• Cadmium toxicity
• Cesium toxicity
• Chromium toxicity
• Cobalt toxicity
• Copper toxicity
• Gold toxicity
• Iron toxicity
• Lead toxicity
• Lithium toxicity
• Manganese toxicity
• Mercury toxicity
• Nickel toxicity
• Phosphorus toxicity
• Platinum toxicity
• Selenium toxicity
• Silver toxicity
• Thallium toxicity
• Tin toxicity
• Vanadium toxicity
• Zinc toxicity

Management

• Stop exposure
• Decontaminate if topical exposure
• Role of chelation not established

See Also

• Heavy metal toxicity

References

• WHO: https://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/cicad/cicad_65_web_version.pdf