HRCT AND PULMONARY FUNCTION FINDINGS OF OCCUPATIONAL ARSENIC EXPOSURE IN WORKERS

Year 2017, Volume: Volume 2 Issue: İssue 1 (1) - 2.İnternational Congress Of Forensic Toxicology, 57 - 57, 16.02.2017

Dilek Ergün

Abstract

The numbers of
studies where nonmalign pulmonary diseases are evaluated after occupational
arsenic exposure are very few. Objective: The aim of this study is to show the
effects of occupational arsenic exposure on the lung by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and pulmonary function
tests (PFT).

 In
this study 256 workers who were suspected respiratory occupational arsenic
exposure are included, having average age
32.9±7.8 years and working 3.5±2.7 years averagely. Hair and urinary
arsenic levels are analysed. HRCT and PFTs are done.

In workers
having occupational arsenic exposure HRCT showed 18.8% pulmonary involvement.
In pulmonary involvement, pulmonary nodule with 64.5% was the most frequently
seen lesion the other findings of pulmonary involvement were 18.8% diffuse
interstisiel lung disease, 12.5% bronchiectasis, 27.1% bullae-emphysema. The
mean age of patients having pulmonary involvement was higher and as well they
were smoking more. The pulmonary involvement was 5.2 times more in patients
having skin lesions because of arsenic. Diffusing capacity of lung for carbon
monoxide (DLCO) was significantly lower in patients of pulmonary involvement.

Besides lung cancer,
chronic occupational inhalation of arsenic exposure can cause non malign
pulmonary findings as bronchiectasis, pulmonary nodule and diffuse interstisiel
lung diseases. Because of this, to detect the pulmonary involvement in the
early stage, workers having occupational arsenic exposure should be followed by
diffusion test and HRCT.

Keywords

HRCT AND PULMONARY FUNCTION FINDINGS OF OCCUPATIONAL ARSENIC EXPOSURE IN WORKERS

References

• Ankara Occupational Health Hospital, Ankara, Turkey