Screening for liver disease in vinyl chloride workers.

Following the occurrence of hepatic fibrosis and angiosarcoma in polyvinyl chloride autoclave workers, a screening programme was set up for workers at risk in a large production plant. There was no significant difference in liver function tests between workers and a control group of men in the same factory, not exposed to vinyl chloride. Four exposed workers out of 422 were found to have enlarged spleens compared with none out of 202 controls. Liver biopsies from selected cases showed no significant pathological changes, although there was minimal increase in portal tract and sinusoidal fibrosis in exposed workers.