Fatal poisoning by 1,1,1-trichloroethane after prolonged survival

A fatal case of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (methyl chloroform) poisoning, in which the patient survived, without recovering consciousness, for more than 3 years, is described. The brain showed symmetrical infarction of the lenticular nuclei and of the occipital cortex, changes which may have been the cause of neurological manifestations during life. The pattern of cerebral hypoxia was similar to, but not identical with that found in carbon monoxide poisoning, and might be specific for 1,1,1-trichloroethane poisoning.