A man's skin has turned to silver, leaving doctors baffled about the cause of this unusual transformation.

An 84-year-old man from Hong Kong was admitted with complications following a urinary tract obstruction, but what puzzled the doctors was not the obstruction itself, but the unusual gray hue that affected his skin, eyes, and nails. Reports indicate that the ashen tint had developed five years prior to his hospital visit. Health care professionals and scientists sought to uncover the reasons behind this anomaly, according to ScienceAlert.

Subsequent blood tests revealed an unusual cause: the man had accumulated an enormous amount of silver in his body, 40 times higher than the normal concentration. The silver had deposited as granules beneath the skin, particularly in the membranes of sweat glands, blood vessels, and skin fibers. This condition, known as argyria, is a rare disease caused by the systemic accumulation of silver in the body’s tissues, as stated in a report published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

While argyria is not commonly seen today, it was historically observed among miners and artisans exposed to silver, as well as individuals who took silver-based medications. Silver, once included in some antimicrobial treatments, is still marketed in colloidal form as a dietary supplement, despite warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its safety and efficacy for treating ailments.

The metal enters the body through the lungs, skin, or digestive system and can deposit in various tissues. When exposed to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, silver ions in the skin react to form compounds that appear gray or blue. The case was particularly perplexing due to the absence of a clear source of silver exposure. The patient, who had been treated for a benign prostate tumor with finasteride, a medication that does not contain silver, had no occupational hazards or environmental exposures that could explain the elevated metal levels.

The man had worked as a waiter for many years, and there were no indications that his home or neighbors were associated with any contamination. Fortunately, although argyria results in noticeable cosmetic changes, it is generally harmless regarding long-term health, except in cases of extreme silver toxicity. In high concentrations, silver can interfere with the absorption of certain medications, such as antibiotics and thyroid hormones.

However, for this patient, the condition posed no immediate health risks aside from the cosmetic effects. Unfortunately, there is no treatment available to reverse the accumulation of silver in the body, meaning his slate-gray appearance is likely to remain permanent. The origin of this man's condition remains a mystery.

Although doctors have diagnosed him and will continue to monitor his silver levels, the definitive cause has yet to be determined. This case serves as an important reminder of the risks associated with uncontrolled silver consumption and exemplifies the dangers linked to unregulated supplements marketed with dubious health claims.