System: Forensic Pathology: Brain: : Solvent vapor abuse leukoencephalopathy
Case 1, image 1: This 39 year old man died of volatile inhalant and mixed drug toxicity. He reportedly worked for a refrigerant/cooler company. Autopsy revealed microscopic changes in the brain secondary to chronic solvent vapor use.
Case 1, image 2: A section of the parietal paraventricular white matter shows scattered perivascular PAS-positive macrophages.
Case 1, image 3: A closer look at PAS-positive macrophages.
Solvent vapor (inhalant) abuse can lead to histopathologic changes within the white matter including demyelination accumulation of PAS-positive macrophages in perivascular spaces (Fornazzari).
Fornazzari L, et al. Solvent abuse-related toluene leukoencephalopathy. Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine (2003) 10, 93-5.