[Neurologic and psychiatric disorders in vinyl chloride disease]

A literature review and an own case observation of neurological and psychiatrical disturbances in vinyl chloride disease are presented. In acute vinyl chloride intoxication, patients complain of vertigo, nausea and headache. At higher concentrations, vinyl chloride exerts a narcotic effect. In patients with chronic occupational exposure, neurological disturbances include sensory-motor polyneuropathy, trigeminal sensory neuropathy, slight pyramidal signs and cerebellar and extrapyramidal motor disorders. Psychiatric disturbances present as neurasthenic or depressive syndromes. Sleep disorders and disorders of sexual functions are frequently encountered. Pathological EEG alterations can be found in a high proportion of patients. The long term course and prognosis of the neurological and psychiatrical disorders in vinyl chloride disease are obscure. In an own case, a slight sensory polyneuropathy, bilateral hyposmia, a marked neurasthenic syndrome, typical EEG changes and computed tomography signs of cerebral atrophy were found in a 56-years-old patient as late as 16 years after the exposure to vinyl chloride.