[Neuropsychiatric disorders caused by organic solvents]

Since the early seventies numerous reports, especially from the Scandinavian countries, have indicated a growing incidence of organic brain syndromes after chronic exposure to mixtures of organic solvents. Symptomatology varies widely, but from a psychiatric point of view can best be summarized as: dementia syndromes with cognitive and neurological deficits, neurasthenic and neurotic syndromes. Presenting a single case study the authors describe a dementia syndrome after long-term exposure to organic solvents: from certain areas of work a high index of suspicion seems justified.