title: Chronic and delayed mustard gas keratopathy: a histopathologic and immunohistochemical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To specify histopathologic and immunohistochemical features of chronic and delayed mustard gas keratopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Corneal buttons from patients with chronic and delayed mustard gas keratopathy were examined for routine histopathology, special histologic stainings, and immunohistochemistry for CD31 and CD68.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five corneal buttons from 25 patients with chronic and delayed mustard gas keratopathy were evaluated. Irregular epithelial thickness (100%), degenerative changes (24) (96%), thickened epithelial basement membrane (23) (92%), keratocytes loss (18) (72%), and destroyed Bowman layer (18) (72%) were predominant histopathologic features. Amyloid degeneration was the most commonly observed degenerative change in the specimens (83%). Immunoreactivity for CD68 and CD31 was detected in 88% and 56%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this observational case series, although all corneal layers from epithelium to the endothelium were involved from mild to severe degrees, the anterior corneal layers were more affected on histopathology than the posterior parts in chronic and delayed mustard gas keratopathy.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmic Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mrezaie47@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mozhgan Rezaei
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kanavi
authors.forename: Atefeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Javadi
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Javadi
mesh_terms: D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014857:Warfare
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; C498154:CD38 protein, human; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1; D009151:Mustard Gas