Baqiyatallah Medical Sciences University, Research Center of Chemical Injuries, Mollasadra Street, Tehran, Postal Code 14359151371, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2006 Sep;22(2):128-30. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2005.12.009. Epub 2006 Mar 29.
Hemoptysis is one of the mustard exposed patients' symptoms. Data from one study on survivors of Sulfur Mustard attacks during World War I had revealed an increased rate of lung cancer among them. Aim of this study was to determine lung HRCT and fluorescence bronchoscopy findings in mustard exposed patients with hemoptysis.
In this cross-sectional study we evaluated 98 patients with protracted hemoptysis in association with history of single exposure to SM. For this mean we used different lung cancer screening tools including HRCT, bronchoscopy (WLB and fluorescence) and pathology (bronchial lavage cytology and biopsy).
Mean time of exposure to SM among cases was 15.5±4.3 (mean±S.D.) years ago. Mean age of studied patients was 48.3±8.2 years. No finding had been found supporting the malignancy in any of cases via imaging and pathological evaluations. Cytological investigation of bronchial lavage for TB (staining and culture) and/or malignancy in all cases was negative. Pathology findings of specimens were: 9% normal, 83% chronic inflammation and 8% squamous metaplasia.
Though our findings are in accordance to other studies which are conducted by other Iranian researchers so far, we cannot overlook the risk of lung cancer among SM patients in future. In conclusion, hemoptysis per se in acutely exposed SM patients could not be considered as a valuable evidence of lung malignancy and it is more likely due to other pathologies of respiratory system in SM patients and close monitoring of these patients for early detection of any kind of malignancy is suggested.
咯血是芥子气暴露患者的症状之一。一项针对第一次世界大战中芥子气袭击幸存者的研究数据显示，他们肺癌发病率增高。本研究旨在确定有咯血史且曾单暴露于芥子气的患者的肺部高分辨率 CT（HRCT）和荧光支气管镜检查结果。
在这项横断面研究中，我们评估了 98 例因单次暴露于 SM 而出现持续性咯血的患者。为此，我们使用了不同的肺癌筛查工具，包括 HRCT、支气管镜（WLB 和荧光）和病理学（支气管灌洗细胞学和活检）。
病例组暴露于 SM 的平均时间为 15.5±4.3 年前（平均值±标准差）。研究患者的平均年龄为 48.3±8.2 岁。通过影像学和病理学评估，未发现任何支持恶性肿瘤的证据。所有病例的支气管灌洗细胞学检查（染色和培养）和/或恶性肿瘤均为阴性。标本的病理学发现为：9%正常，83%慢性炎症和 8%鳞状上皮化生。
尽管我们的研究结果与迄今为止其他伊朗研究人员进行的研究一致，但我们不能忽视 SM 患者未来患肺癌的风险。总之，SM 急性暴露患者的咯血本身不能被认为是肺部恶性肿瘤的有价值证据，更可能是由于 SM 患者呼吸系统的其他病理学原因，建议对这些患者进行密切监测，以早期发现任何类型的恶性肿瘤。
