The following paper was published back in April:

Occupational trichloroethylene exposure as a cause of idiosyncratic generalized skin disorders and accompanying hepatitis similar to drug hypersensitivities [View abstract or purchase]

Authors: Kamijima, Michihiro1; Hisanaga, Naomi; Wang, Hailan; Nakajima, Tamie
Source: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, Volume 80, Number 5, April 2007 , pp. 357-370(14)
Publisher: Springer

After reading the abstract and the paper, we decided a layman's summary was warranted. Here's our attempt:

Researchers reviewed cases of severe generalized skin disorders and accompanying hepatitis in workers exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE). They attempted to compare TCE-induced skin disorders to similar disorders caused by hypersensitivity to medications.

Not only was the frequency of skin disorders in TCE-exposed workers greater than the occurrence of such disorders caused by medicine-hypersensitivity, the TCE-induced skin disorders were accompanied by a higher rate of fever, hepatitis, and lymphadenopathy (swelling of the lymph nodes). [Note: For several reasons, the incidence rate/frequency surveyed does not seem to offer much predictive power.]

Patients suffering from TCE-related generalized skin disorders typically show rash on the extremities, face, neck or trunk with/without fever 2 weeks to 2 months after commencement of occupational TCE exposure. Some experienced recurrences after going back to their worksites. These findings indicate a clear temporal relationship between TCE exposure and the disorder occurrence.

TCE-induced skin disorders found in the review include:

• Exfoliative Dermatitis (widespread scaling of the skin, often with itching (pruritus), skin redness (erythroderma), and hair loss.)
• Erythema Multiforme (multiple skin lesions; can be accompanied by itching, fever, and general ill-feeling)
• Stevens-Johnson syndrome (a much more severe condition than erythema multiforme. SJS typically involves multiple areas of the body and extensive lesion formation. The lesions can extend to the mucous membranes, thus affecting the lungs, eyes, mouth, stomach, intestines and virtually every major organ.)
• Epidermolysis Bullosa (a group of blistering skin conditions. The skin is so fragile in people with EB that even minor rubbing may cause blistering. At times, the person with EB may not be aware of rubbing or injuring the skin even though blisters develop. In severe EB, blisters are not confined to the outer skin. They may develop inside the body, in such places as the linings of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines, upper airway, bladder, and the genitals.)

Also:

The reported patients were engaged mostly in degreasing, i.e. cleaning metal-made products or machines, plastic toys, electronics parts (e.g. printed circuit boards, transistor components, capacitors, or computer displays), socks, ink stains in a printing shop , or unspecied material.

Skin contact with liquid TCE is not essential for the onset of the disorders (i.e. TCE vapors can cause them)

These TCE-related hypersensitivities are totally different from typical solvent toxic effects in terms of unclear dose–response relationship, period of exposure before disease onset, generalized rash, fever, lymphadenopathy, and recurrence just after minimal re-exposure

Occurrences of the disorders have been reported from the USA, Japan, Spain, Singapore, China, Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines. The case reports from industrialized countries were mostly published up to 1990, whereas cases from Asian industrializing countries appeared thereafter.

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For a copy of the full paper for research purposes, please feel free to contact us.