| Burton's line | |
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| Differential diagnosis | Chronic lead poisoning |
Burton's line, also known as the Burton line or Burtonian line, is a clinical sign found in patients with chronic lead poisoning. It is a very thin, black-blue line visible along the margin of the gums, at the base of the teeth. It is caused by the reaction between circulating lead and sulphur ions produced by oral bacteria, forming deposits of lead sulfide in the gums.
The sign was described in 1840 by Henry Burton:
The edges of the gums attached to the necks of two or more teeth of either jaw, were distinctly bordered by a narrow leaden-blue line, about the one-twentieth part of an inch in width, whilst the substance of the gum apparently retained its ordinary colour and condition.
A similar line, the "bismuth line", occurs in people who have ingested bismuth compounds; bismuth, however, is of relatively low toxicity.
References
- Pearce JM (2007). "Burton's line in lead poisoning". Eur. Neurol. 57 (2): 118–9. doi:10.1159/000098100. PMID 17179719. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
- Helmich, Friederike; Lock, Guntram (2018-11-08). "Burton's Line from Chronic Lead Intoxication". New England Journal of Medicine. 379 (19): e35. doi:10.1056/NEJMicm1801693. ISSN 0028-4793. PMID 30403939. S2CID 205088502.
- Rao JV, Vengamma B, Naveen T, Naveen V (April 2014). "Lead encephalopathy in adults". J Neurosci Rural Pract. 5 (2): 161–3. doi:10.4103/0976-3147.131665. PMC 4064184. PMID 24966557.
- Burton, Henry (1840-01-14). "On a remarkable effect on the human gums, produced by the absorption of lead" (PDF). Medico-Chirurgical Transactions. 23: 63–79. doi:10.1177/095952874002300106. PMC 2116895. PMID 20895719.
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