Abstract
A stained-glass artist with longstanding exposure to lead presented with neuropsychiatric symptoms. He was evaluated before and after chelation treatment by the CaNa
2 EDTA lead mobilization test, iliac crest bone lead measurement, and
in vivo tibial X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The three methods showed a progressive fall in body lead stores during chelation therapy in association with improvement in symptoms and a fall in blood lead and zinc protoporphyrin levels.
In vivo tibial XRF is a safe, rapid, and noninvasive technique for detecting excessive body lead burdens. XRF measurement of bone lead content is a practical method for monitoring the efficacy of therapy as well as for establishing the diagnosis.