[The vinyl-chloride disease].

Workers engaged in the PVC-production, who were long-term exposed to the gaseous base vinyl chloride exhibit a complex pattern of damages. Changes of the skin, vascular and bone system, as well as thrombocytopenia, liver fibrosis with portal hypertension, disturbances of the porphyrin metabolism and alterations of the central nervous system were observed. Moreover vinyl chloride is oncogenic and may cause angiosarcoma of the liver. By directed occupational medicine supervision, improvement of the production conditions and introduction of new processing techniques health risks at the workplace could be eliminated to a far extend.