[Health surveillance on workers exposed to wood dust: usefulness of the assessment of the nasal mucosa].

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate alterations in the nasal mucosa in workers that for professional purpose, are exposed, for a long period of time, to wood dust (WD). The increased frequency in alterations could underline a mechanism for chronic damage that could lead to cancer This study took into account 50 cabinet workers (EW) who had been exposed to WD for an average of 33 years and were compared to 48 controls (CC). A questionnaire regarding nasal symptoms was submitted, the nasal mucosa was examined by fibroscopy, secretions were valuated, cytogram from a nasal swap was also done. 44% of the EW and 33.4% of CC showed macroscopic alterations of the mucosa (PR 1,32 IC95% 0,79-2,19). The cytogram was altered in 24% of EW and in 12.5% of CC (PR 1,92 IC95% 0,78-4,71). In EW there was an abnormal significant increase in nasal secretions compared to CS, 28% vs 11,4% (PR 2,69 IC95% 1,05-6,89). The results do not confirm our hypothesis, but they show an unexpected prevalence of alteration in the CC. While waiting for further results, we express doubts in proposing routinary specialistic evaluation to all the EW to WD. At present it is hard to pin point indicators that could help reach an early diagnosis in the development of sinus-nasal cancer.