Ophthalmological aspects of chronic CS2 intoxication

As a pilot study preliminary to a large scale survey on chronic CS2 toxicity 30 workers of a viscose rayon industry in Belgium have been examined. Twenty of them were working in the xanthation spinning department where chronic CS2 intoxication is more likely to occur and ten controls were chosen form the supposedly safe bleaching division. Ophthalmological evaluation included visual fields, coulour vision testing, fluoro-angiography, ERG and EOG. In both groups fundus anomalies, abnormal EOG's and subnormal or supranormal ERG's were found. The fundus anomalies consisted either of discrete pigmentary changes in the posterior pole or microvascular retinal lesions.