Acute and chronic progressive encephalopathy due to gasoline sniffing

Acute encephalopathy caused by gasoline sniffing is well recognized, but has been thought to be completely reversible. We report a patient who developed a progressive encephalopathy characterized by ataxia, tremor and dementia following repeated, deliberate gasoline inhalation. Blood and urine lead...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNeurology Vol. 28; no. 5; p. 507
Main Authors Valpey, R, Sumi, S M, Copass, M K, Goble, G J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.05.1978
Subjects
Adult
Ataxia - chemically induced
Brain Diseases - chemically induced
Brain Diseases - pathology
Dementia - chemically induced
Gasoline - poisoning
Humans
Lead Poisoning - etiology
Lead Poisoning - pathology
Male
Petroleum - poisoning
Substance-Related Disorders
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Summary:Acute encephalopathy caused by gasoline sniffing is well recognized, but has been thought to be completely reversible. We report a patient who developed a progressive encephalopathy characterized by ataxia, tremor and dementia following repeated, deliberate gasoline inhalation. Blood and urine lead levels were consistently elevated and at autopsy, the formalin-fixed brain lead content was between 5200 and 6500 micrograms/100 gm of tissue. This case shows that repeated gasoline sniffing can result in irreversible encephalopathy and that both the acute and chronic encephalopathy probably result from organic lead intoxication and not from the gasoline itself.
ISSN:0028-3878
DOI:10.1212/wnl.28.5.507