Incidence of lung, eye, and skin lesions as late complications in 34,000 Iranians with wartime exposure to mustard agent

J Occup Environ Med. 2003 Nov;45(11):1136-43. doi: 10.1097/01.jom.0000094993.20914.d1.

Abstract

Approximately 34,000 Iranians known to have sustained mustard agent exposure during the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-1988 and survived over a decade afterwards were screened for distribution of the most commonly occurring medical problems. In order of greatest incidence, these include lesions of the lungs (42.5%), eyes (39.3%), and skin (24.5%). Within each subpopulation, patients were ranked according to severity of lesions. Twenty-three percent to 37% of patients exhibited at least mild coverage, with 1.5% to 4.5% classed as moderate, and a much smaller population (0.023-1.0%) of the 34,000 patients exhibiting extensive (severe) lesional coverage. These results provide a comprehensive overview of the medical problem most common among mustard victims and could serve as a predictor of the likely impact of these weapons on health status of populations exposed to them during ongoing military conflicts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Chemical Warfare Agents / poisoning*
  • Eye Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Eye Diseases / classification
  • Eye Diseases / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Iran / epidemiology
  • Lung Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Lung Diseases / classification
  • Lung Diseases / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Mustard Gas / poisoning*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Skin Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Skin Diseases / classification
  • Skin Diseases / epidemiology
  • Warfare*

Substances

  • Chemical Warfare Agents
  • Mustard Gas