Angiosarcoma of the Liver in Workers Professionally Exposed to Vinyl Chloride (in Slovakia)

Ján Bátora*, Karol Schmidt, Jozef Kubík and Pavel Jakubis*

* National Institute of Public Health, Prievidza, Slovakia
Hospital cum Policlinics, Prievidza, Slovakia
 
Corresponding author: Pavel Jakubis, MD
State Health Institute
Hviezdoslavova 3
971 01 Prievidza
Slovakia
Tel.: +421 862 424 405
FAX: +421 862 424 269
e-mail: szupd@netlab.sk

CEJOEM 1998; 4(3):252-264


Keywords:
Vinyl chloride, angiosarcoma of the liver, professional exposure, cumulative dose, total risk.

Abbreviations:
ASL = angiosarcoma of the liver
CE = cumulative exposure
MAC = maximum admissible concentration
MACW-A = maximum admissible concentration, average for the working place
MACW-L = maximum admissible concentration, limit for the working place
TLV = threshold limit value
TR = total risk
TWA = time-weighted average
VC = vinyl chloride

Abstract:
Case reports on seven cases of angiosarcoma of the liver (ASL) are presented. All cases were registered in workers professionally exposed to high vinyl chloride (VC) concentrations.
    ASL was diagnosed in males aged 37–82 years with a duration of exposure between 9 and 25 years. The tumour developed within the time interval of 14–40 years after the first exposure to VC. The workers affected were mostly working in the profession of attending polymerization including hand-operated cleaning of autoclaves and in the profession of attending pressure condensation. The cumulative dose received by the workers ranged from 4,880 up to 14,375 mg.m3 and the total risk from 1.7 up to 4.9.10–2, respectively.

Received: 30 March 1998
Accepted: 04 August 1998

Posted: 19 November 1998
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