[Chloracne, porphyria cutanea tarda, and other poisonings due to the herbicides]

Abstract

In 80 industrial workers producing herbicides (2,4,5-trichlorphenoxyaceticacidsodium and sodiumpentachlorphenolate) in Czechoslovakia the following signs of intoxication caused by 2,3,6,7-tetrachlordibenzodioxin were found: Dermatological: Chloracne and Porphyria cutanea tarda. Internal: Disorders of the metabolism of porphyrins, fats, carbohydrates, plasmaproteins. Neurological: Mainly lesions of the peripheral neurone. Psychiatric: Neurasthenic syndrome and organic lesions. Differences from the usual course of chloracne were observed. Porphyria cutanea tarda acquisita was most obvious, one patient suffered and died from severe atherosclerosis, hypertension and diabetes. Many patients developed polyneuropathy, as verified both by EMG and autopsy. Two patients died from bronchogenic carcinoma.