Delayed Ocular Complications of Mustard Gas in Iranian Veterans

Eyes are very sensitive to Sulfur Mustard gas (SM) because they have wet surfaces. Considering the late complications of eye due to mustard gas exposure in warfare patients, the present study was conducted to evaluate the late complications of the eye.

In the current descriptive study, we evaluated 300 male patients aged between 40-75 years old whose mustard gas injury period was about 27-32 years before. A complete eye examination by an ophthalmologist was done. The complications were divided in 4 grades: normal, mild, moderate, and severe. The results were reported as x2 and relative frequencies.

Out of 300 warfare patients, 37.5% were aged 46-50 years old, 79% were injured with mustard gas once, 13.4% twice, 6.6% three times, and 1% more than 3 times, 42% had hospitalization, and 77.6% used drugs. The most common symptoms were itching (42.3%), burning (38.3%), and dryness (37%) and the most prevalent complication of the lid was MGD (39.4%). Also, the most prevalent complication of Conjunctiva was vascular anomalies (46.6%), the most common complication of limbus was ischemia (12%), and the most common complication of cornea was epithelial defect (13.4%). Among the prevalent ocular surgeries were punctual occlusion (19.4%), penetrating keratoplasty (PK) (0.33%), tarsoraphy (0.66%), conj.flap (1%), amniotic membrane transplantation (0%), stem cell graft (2.66%), and lamellar keratoplasty (LK) (0.66%), in the order of frequency. The degrees of complications were 53.34% for normal, 33.33% for mild, 9.33% for moderate, and 4% for severe cases.

Conjunctival vascular abnormalities and epithelial defect were the most significant signs among the sulfur mustard chemical war victims. Having reached the mentioned conclusions, it can be stated that mild complications were more than moderate and severe ones.