Thinner Abuse and Aspermia

A 28-year-old male, addicted for 10 years to thinner inhalation, developed a transitory hallucinatory state and slight behavioural disturbances, and died from excessive sniffing. Autopsy disclosed not only diffuse cerebral and cerebellar cortex atrophy, mild liver disease and testicles with faulty or suppressed spermatogenesis. This case suggests that in alleged rape cases when the laboratory examination for vaginal secretions is positive for prostatic acid phosphatase determination without sperm, chronic thinner abuse may also account for the lack of sperm in the vaginal smears like other congenital or aquired etiologic factors causing aspermia or oligospermia.