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Diagnosis
Because various symptoms of Minamata disease can be caused by other disease as well, diagnosis of the disease in people who have been exposed to methylmercury compound is carried out on the basis of diagnostic criteria, in order to raise the level of diagnostic probability. While diagnosis on this basis is fairly easy for typical patients who have all the major symptoms, in the case of incomplete type or moderate type of this disease, however, it may be difficult to distinguish it from the following disease.

Differential Diagnosis:

Combination of symptoms Sensory system disorders Ataxia Disequilibrium contripetal constriction of the visual field Central nervous disorders (Ocular system) Cnetral nervous systerm disorders (Otorhino systerm) Combinations of other symptoms
a O O          
b (1) O X O        
b (2) O X   O      
c (1) O     O O    
c (2) O     O   O  
d O X         O
O : Observerd, X : Possible

Note: Although this table was created, based on "The Criteria for Judging Post-Natal Minamata Disease" (Notification No. 262, the Japan Environmental Health Program, issueed by the Environmental Health Division Manager, July 1, 1977), simply becuase possible patients show the symptoms listed in this table does not mean that judgement can be automatically made to determine that the patients should be diagnosed as Minamata disease patient.

Environmental Health Division, the Environmental Agency, 1994

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