Authors : K. Bakhtavar , N. Sedighi and M. Sheikhvatan
Abstract: The aim of this study, was to assess the pulmonary lesions in patients with sulfur mustard gas exposure and their relationship with age, gender, exposure frequency and pulmonary symptoms and compare with non-exposed ones as control group. A case-control study was performed on 125 patients with documented sulfur mustard gas exposure during the Iran-Iraq war in 1983-1988, referred to a medical imaging center in Tehran, Iran in 2007, for High Resolution Computed Tomography scan (HRCT). The age-matched control subjects (n = 26) had not history of mustard gas exposure and had minimal clinical manifestations as indication for HRCT. Dyspnea (97.6%), cough (84.8%) and purulent sputum (77.6%) were seen more in patients with sulfur mustard gas exposure than control group. In exposed group, the most common HRCT findings were patchy (61.6%) and diffuse (13.6%) air trapping, emphysema (8%) and mild and focal fibrosis (4.8%). In control group, among all findings, only patchy air trapping was detected that was less frequent than exposed group (3.8 vs 61.6%, p<0.001). The most common pulmonary effects of sulfur mustard gas in HRCT are patchy and diffuse air trapping, emphysema and mild and focal fibrosis and the severity of these changes are associated with patient`s age.
K. Bakhtavar , N. Sedighi and M. Sheikhvatan , 2009. Inspiratory and Expiratory High-Resolution CT Findings and Chronic Pulmonary Effects of Mustard Gas Exposure. Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 4: 453-457.