Özet:

INTRODUCTION: Chronic inhalation of glues containing n-hexanes induces sensory-motor polyneuropathy. N-hexane neuropathy has also been described as case reports at the shoe industry workers be cause of its common use in the production of footwear. In this study we aimed to describe the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of the patients who had been followed up from our polyclinic between 2000-2005, as shoe makers working in the shoe industry. METHODS: 26 shoe makers who have been admitted to our clinic with neuropathy symptoms have been included in the study. Neurological examination and electrophysiological studies as nerve conduction study were applied to all of the patients. RESULTS: 21 of the 26 patients were male (80 %). The mean age of the patients was 34.5. The most common neurological symptoms were distally localized numbness (91.2 %) and distally localized muscle weakness (65.3 %). 10 patients (39 %) showed normal electrophysiological findings while 16 (61 %) had electrophysiologically neuropathic findings. The main changes in the nerve conduction study were reduced amplitude of the sensory action potentials, followed by reduced amplitude of motor action potentials, reduction in motor conduction velocities and increase in distal latencies. 7 patients (43 %) had mixed sensory-motor axonal polyneuropathy while 3 (18 %) of them had motor and 6 (37 %) of them had sensory axonal neuropathy. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results indicate that exposure to N-hexanes in shoe industry can cause symtomatic axonal neuropathy and the most common type of the neuropathy is mixed sensory-motor type.

Anahtar Kelimeler: