N-HEXANE-INDUCED PARKINSONISM - PATHOGENETIC HYPOTHESES

n-Hexane, similar hydrocarbons, and derivatives are common environment al pollutants and by-products of lipid peroxidation, and they may have a nigrotoxic effect like that of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydro pyridine. This report describes our second case of parkinsonism in a s ubject exposed to n-hexane. Positron emission tomography studies demon strated regional striatal abnormalities of the nigrostriatal dopaminer gic system and of glucose metabolism that were different from those fo und in idiopathic Parkinson's disease.