Expanding the differential: Toluene-induced toxicity

A 31-year-old woman presented to the hospital with generalised weakness and lower back and abdominal pain. The only significant finding on physical examination was the weakness of the legs. Laboratory analysis in the emergency department revealed that she was hypokalaemic with metabolic acidosis. She was treated with oral and intravenous potassium, which resolved her weakness. During the search for an explanation for her renal tubular acidosis, she said she was exposed to paint exposure while working on a friend's house. She was discharged on correction of her hypokalaemia, and a subsequent test revealed elevated blood toluene level.