Patients with suspected solvent-induced encephalopathy examined with cerebral computed tomography

J Occup Med. 1993 Feb;35(2):155-60. doi: 10.1097/00043764-199302000-00016.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between organic solvent exposure and brain atrophy among 85 patients referred to a department of occupational medicine and who underwent cerebral computed tomography. On average, the patients had been heavily exposed to a mixture of organic solvents for 22.9 years. Diseases which may be associated with brain atrophy or high alcohol consumption was observed among 31% of the subjects. Among these subjects the prevalence of brain atrophy was 58%. The prevalence of brain atrophy was 20% among the men without such conditions. None of the eight female patients appeared to have atrophy. The quantitative assessment showed no correlation between the duration of exposure and atrophy-related parameters. However, the width of the third ventricle, bifrontal ratio, and bicaudate ratio were correlated with age.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Air Pollutants, Occupational / adverse effects*
  • Atrophy
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / chemically induced*
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / diagnostic imaging
  • Encephalitis / chemically induced*
  • Encephalitis / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Maximum Allowable Concentration
  • Middle Aged
  • Occupational Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Occupational Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Paint / adverse effects
  • Solvents / adverse effects*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

Substances

  • Air Pollutants, Occupational
  • Solvents