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Medical Aspects of Chemical Warfare (2008) - The Black Vault

Medical Aspects of Chemical Warfare (2008) - The Black Vault

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<strong>Medical</strong> <strong>Aspects</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Chemical</strong> <strong>Warfare</strong>abFig. 8-4. Large and extensive bullae on (a) the hands and (b)the feet <strong>of</strong> Iranian casualties as they appeared 5 days afterexposure to mustard. In (c), also day 5, some <strong>of</strong> the bullaeare disrupted and have a purulent base. Note the extensiveedema <strong>of</strong> the surrounding skin. <strong>The</strong> whitish material is anantimicrobial salve.Reproduced with permission from: Willems JL. Clinicalmanagement <strong>of</strong> mustard gas casualties. Ann Med Milit Belg.1989;3S:14, 15.c<strong>The</strong> healing time for mustard skin lesions dependson the severity <strong>of</strong> the lesion. Erythema heals withinseveral days, whereas severe lesions may require severalweeks to several months to heal, depending on theanatomical site, the total area <strong>of</strong> skin surface affected,and the depth <strong>of</strong> the lesion (Figure 8-5). 17A characteristic <strong>of</strong> the cutaneous mustard injurythat Willems reported in the Iranian casualties wastransient blackening, or hyperpigmentation, <strong>of</strong> the affectedskin (Figure 8-6). 17 When the hyperpigmentedskin exfoliated, epithelium <strong>of</strong> normal color wasexposed. Vesication was not necessary for hyperpigmentationto occur. <strong>The</strong> syndrome <strong>of</strong> hyperpigmentationand exfoliation was commonly recognized inWorld War I casualties, but less commonly in laboratoryexperiments using liquid mustard. 17 When theinitial skin damage, inflammation, only stimulatesthe melanocyte (pigment cell), increased pigmentation(hyperpigmentation) can be seen. When themelanocyte is destroyed, hypopigmentation occurs,which lasts several months and occasionally becomespermanent. This blotchy hyperpigmentation andabFig. 8-5. Healing <strong>of</strong> a deep erosive mustard burn <strong>of</strong> the hand. (a) <strong>The</strong> appearance on day 49. Epithelialization occurred byingrowth <strong>of</strong> cells from patches <strong>of</strong> less injured skin. (b) <strong>The</strong> appearance on day 66, when complete epithelialization had occurred.<strong>The</strong> thin and fragile nature <strong>of</strong> the new skin is clearly apparent.Reproduced with permission from: Willems JL. Clinical management <strong>of</strong> mustard gas casualties. Ann Med Milit Belg.1989;3S:36.268

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