Question

Muscle pain and nephropathy are caused by which metal poisoning?

• A. Arsenic
• B. Cadmium
• C. Mercury
• D. Lead

Hint:

Nephropathy is non-specific; the muscle pain points to one classic neurotoxic metal.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Use the discriminating symptom strategy. Since renal injury is common to most heavy metals, the deciding sign is the muscle pain.
Step 2: Arsenic is well known for causing painful muscles together with a stocking-glove neuropathy and kidney involvement, so it best explains both halves of the stem.
Step 3: Reject the alternatives by their signature pictures: cadmium $\rightarrow$ tubular proteinuria and bone disease, mercury $\rightarrow$ acrodynia and stomatitis, lead $\rightarrow$ abdominal colic, wrist drop and basophilic stippling.
Step 4: Only arsenic ties myalgia and nephropathy together, making it the answer.
\[\boxed{Arsenic}\]