study of the prevalence of skin tumors in chemically injured patients in comparison with the general population

ABSTRACT

During Iran-Iraq war between the years 1980-1988, several chemical warefare agents were used which the most common was Mustard gas [SM]. The side effects of mutation and tumor-formation of sulfur mustard in humanbeings and animals are well described. The aim of current study is to determine the late-onset complications in Iranian veterans exposed by SM in formation of skin tumors. During this retrospective descriptive-analytic study, 9605 chemically injured patients who were examined by dermatologists and their characteristics were studied. Sixty-two out of 9605 of chemically injured patients exposed to sulfur mustard after 10-15 years from exposure had skin tumors. Four of them were malignant and diagnosed as BCC and the others were benign.Lipoma and Becker nevus where the most common benign lesions. The results showed that no significant difference between prevalence of BCC in the chemically injured patients and the general population based on previous reports and as far as the age range and frequency of exposure was considered [P>0.05]