Follow-up chest radiographs in Vietnam veterans: are they useful?

Agent Orange exposure and its long-term health consequences on Vietnam veterans have been widely discussed in the past few years. Myriad physical and mental disabilities have been studied with regard to exposure to various herbicides. The number of persons potentially exposed is large, since 2.4-2.8 million U.S. military personnel served in Vietnam. A case-control study was undertaken to determine if persons who served in the U.S. military in Vietnam have either cardiovascular or pulmonary effects that can be demonstrated on long-term follow-up chest radiographs. Information regarding military service in Vietnam was obtained from interviews and, in some cases, review of military records. Vietnam veterans did not have an increased prevalence of abnormalities on follow-up chest radiographs. A subset of Vietnam veterans who had greater estimated opportunities for Agent Orange exposure also did not appear to be at greater risk than the control population.