[Acquired color vision disturbances as a sensitive marker of chronic exposure to petroleum derivatives]

The Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue test was used to examine 75 males aged 25-60 years before and after a break in exposure to petroleum derivatives and 30 males non-occupationally involved in the petrochemical industry. Acquired colour vision disturbances were found in 29% of those under study before and in 16% after a break in exposure and rest while in the control group they were diagnosed in 17% of subjects before and in 7% after rest. Remission of acquired dyschromatopsia of the blue and yellow axis was most commonly observed. This kind of disturbances accounted for 70% out of all disorders found in the basic group and they represented the only kind of disorders detected in the controls. An observed tendency towards remission of disturbances in the blue and yellow axis indicates a functional nature of the visual analyzer damage. Dyschromatopsia of the blue and yellow axis with concomitant disturbances in the red and green axis or without specified axis is more persistent and may indicate an organic damage of the route that transmits information about colours.