Recent development and modification of the general synthesis of pyrrol
es and 1-vinylpyrroles by the reaction of ketoximes with acetylenes an
d their synthetic equivalents (vinyl halides and dihaloalkanes) in the
presence of the strongly basic KOH/DMSO catalytic and eliminating pai
r (the Trofimov reaction) are briefly reviewed. The formation of 3H-py
rroles and other isolable intermediates (O-vinyl ketoximes and hydroxy
pyrrolines) as well as side products are discussed.