Burton's line, also known as the Burton line or Burtonian line, is a clinical sign found in patients with chronic

lead poisoning Lead poisoning, also known as plumbism and saturnism, is a type of metal poisoning caused by lead in the body. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, irritability, memory problems, infertility, numbness and paresthesia, t ...

. It is a very thin, black-blue line visible along the margin of the

gums The gums or gingiva (: gingivae) consist of the mucosal tissue that lies over the mandible and maxilla inside the mouth. Gum health and disease can have an effect on general health. Structure The gums are part of the soft tissue lining of the ...

, 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 Henry Burton may refer to: * Henry Burton (Conservative politician) (1876–1947), British Conservative MP for Sudbury (1924–1945) * Henry Burton (physician) (1799–1849), English physician * Henry Burton (theologian) (1578–1648), English Puri ...

: A similar line, the " bismuth line", occurs in people who have ingested

bismuth Bismuth is a chemical element; it has symbol Bi and atomic number 83. It is a post-transition metal and one of the pnictogens, with chemical properties resembling its lighter group 15 siblings arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth occurs nat ...

compounds; bismuth, however, is of relatively low toxicity.

References

Medical signs Lead poisoning {{med-toxic-stub