Industrial neuropathy due to n-hexane. Clinical and morphological findings in three cases.

Three cases of motor polyneuropathy due to industrial exposure to an adhesive agent containing 80.4% of n-hexane as the volatile substance are described. Histological and ultrastructural studies on sural nerve reveal alterations of both myelin sheaths and axons of large diameter fibers, with segmental swelling and increase of neurofilaments. In the muscle specimens there is a pattern of denervation atrophy with focal degenerative-inflammatory changes. Some differences between the present cases and those previously described in the literature are discussed.