OPTIC NEURITIS WITH RESIDUAL TUNNEL VISION IN PERCHLOROETHYLENE TOXICITY

Case Report: In a 57-year-old female owner of a dry-cleaning shop, we describe the association of severe bilateral optic neuritis with unexp ectedly high concentrations of perchloroethylene/metabolites in the bl ood and of chloroform in urine. Visual disturbances consisted of compl ete blindness for 9 days in the left eye, for 11 days in the right eye , with bright phosphenes and pain on eye rotation. Only central (2-3 d egrees radius) vision recovered in the following months, Conclusion: A lthough environmental concentrations of perchloroethylene were within normal limits, we measured five-fold increases in vapors emitted when ironing freshly dry-cleaned fabrics, and suggest that inhalation of pe rchloroethylene vapors was the cause of this case of ocular nerve toxi city, recapitulating a previous report of major perchloroethylene toxi city.