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Related Experiment Videos

Toxic polyneuropathies after sniffing a glue thinner.

H Altenkirch, J Mager, G Stoltenburg

    Journal of Neurology
    |January 13, 1977
    PubMed
    Summary

    Juvenile glue sniffing caused toxic polyneuropathy with motor deficits and paralysis. Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) in glue thinners may synergize with n-hexane and methyl butyl ketone (MBK) to cause nerve damage.

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    Area of Science:

    • Neurology
    • Toxicology
    • Environmental Health

    Background:

    • Toxic polyneuropathy in juveniles is a significant health concern.
    • Glue sniffing has been linked to neurological damage, but specific causative agents and mechanisms require further elucidation.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the neurological and morphological effects of glue thinner sniffing in juvenile patients.
    • To identify the specific chemical agents responsible for toxic polyneuropathy in glue sniffers.

    Main Methods:

    • Observation of 18 juvenile patients with toxic polyneuropathy.
    • Clinical neurological examination and assessment of disease progression.
    • Nerve biopsy for morphological analysis.

    Main Results:

    • Patients presented with symmetrical, progressive, ascending motor polyneuropathy, muscle atrophy, and vegetative alterations.
    • Tetraplegia occurred in 7 patients; motor deficits persisted after 8 months.
    • Nerve biopsies revealed paranodal axon swelling, neurofilament masses, and secondary myelin retraction, consistent with n-hexane and MBK neuropathy.

    Conclusions:

    • The observed neuropathy shares characteristics with known n-hexane and MBK polyneuropathies.
    • Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) in the glue thinner, though not previously implicated, showed a temporal correlation with neuropathy onset.
    • A synergistic toxic mechanism involving n-hexane, MBK, and MEK, primarily affecting axons, is proposed.

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