Hexachlorophene and the central nervous system

Summary A study on hexachlorophene encephalopathy in mice and baboons is reported. By light microscopy, a severe spongiform lesion of the central nervous system (CNS) was localized in the white matter, without myelin breakdown or cellular reaction. By electron microscopy, the myelin alteration was characterized by wide intralamellar spaces or splitting developed in the intraperiod line of compact sheaths. The acute changes described were induced by administration of the drug by the digestive or cutancous routes at various dosage levels in an aqueous solution or in talcum powder. The toxic effects depended on the age of the animals, the survival times and the concentrations of hexachlorophene, i.e., 6%, 3%, and 0.5%. The findings are compared with previous reports on the neurotoxicity of hexachlorophene and other chemicals in humans and experimental animals. Hexachlorophene cannot be recommended for use in young infants because of its neurotoxicity in very low doses as demonstrated in the present report.