Dendriform pulmonary ossification in military combat veterans: A case series
Dendriform pulmonary ossification (DPO) is a rare condition characterized by mature bone formation in the lung. DPO has been linked to various conditions, but little is known about the link between DPO and hazardous airborne exposures. We queried research databases of military personnel evaluated fo...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Respiratory Medicine Case Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213007124001795 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1823864434427166720 |
|---|---|
| author | Jeremy T. Hua Carlyne D. Cool Tami J. Bang Silpa D. Krefft Richard C. Kraus Cecile S. Rose |
| author_facet | Jeremy T. Hua Carlyne D. Cool Tami J. Bang Silpa D. Krefft Richard C. Kraus Cecile S. Rose |
| author_sort | Jeremy T. Hua |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dendriform pulmonary ossification (DPO) is a rare condition characterized by mature bone formation in the lung. DPO has been linked to various conditions, but little is known about the link between DPO and hazardous airborne exposures. We queried research databases of military personnel evaluated for deployment-related respiratory diseases at two occupational pulmonary medicine clinics (Colorado, USA) for diagnoses of DPO, and summarized demographics, Gulf War military deployment history, medical history, and pulmonary function testing. Chest imaging was independently reviewed and scored by a thoracic radiologist, and all cases had undergone lung tissue biopsy. We identified five male combat veterans with DPO, median age 49 years [range: 32–64]. All had deployed to Southwest Asia or Afghanistan during the First or Second Gulf War, and all reported frequent, intense exposure to diesel exhaust, burn pit emissions, and sandstorms. Lung physiology was abnormal in all cases. The most prevalent chest imaging and histopathology findings were airway-centric injury, inflammation, and retained particulate matter, suggesting substantial hazardous exposure during military deployment. This case series of a rare lung disease from the only two contemporary Colorado clinics serving previously deployed veterans highlights a potential link between airborne hazards and lung injury leading to DPO. A high index of clinical suspicion combined with a detailed occupational history may reveal additional exposure-related associations with DPO. Access to large medical databases of military veterans with linkage to exposure histories may further elucidate risk factors for lung injury with ossification, paving the way for targeted prevention. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cc441e123b0141e69324544efeed5c79 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2213-0071 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Respiratory Medicine Case Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-cc441e123b0141e69324544efeed5c792025-02-09T05:00:19ZengElsevierRespiratory Medicine Case Reports2213-00712025-01-0153102156Dendriform pulmonary ossification in military combat veterans: A case seriesJeremy T. Hua0Carlyne D. Cool1Tami J. Bang2Silpa D. Krefft3Richard C. Kraus4Cecile S. Rose5Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA; Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, USA; Corresponding author. 1400 Jackson St, Denver, CO, 80206, USA.Department of Pathology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USADepartment of Radiology, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USADivision of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA; Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, USA; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Veterans Administration Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Aurora, CO, USADivision of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USADivision of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA; Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, USADendriform pulmonary ossification (DPO) is a rare condition characterized by mature bone formation in the lung. DPO has been linked to various conditions, but little is known about the link between DPO and hazardous airborne exposures. We queried research databases of military personnel evaluated for deployment-related respiratory diseases at two occupational pulmonary medicine clinics (Colorado, USA) for diagnoses of DPO, and summarized demographics, Gulf War military deployment history, medical history, and pulmonary function testing. Chest imaging was independently reviewed and scored by a thoracic radiologist, and all cases had undergone lung tissue biopsy. We identified five male combat veterans with DPO, median age 49 years [range: 32–64]. All had deployed to Southwest Asia or Afghanistan during the First or Second Gulf War, and all reported frequent, intense exposure to diesel exhaust, burn pit emissions, and sandstorms. Lung physiology was abnormal in all cases. The most prevalent chest imaging and histopathology findings were airway-centric injury, inflammation, and retained particulate matter, suggesting substantial hazardous exposure during military deployment. This case series of a rare lung disease from the only two contemporary Colorado clinics serving previously deployed veterans highlights a potential link between airborne hazards and lung injury leading to DPO. A high index of clinical suspicion combined with a detailed occupational history may reveal additional exposure-related associations with DPO. Access to large medical databases of military veterans with linkage to exposure histories may further elucidate risk factors for lung injury with ossification, paving the way for targeted prevention.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213007124001795BronchiolitisDendriformDeploymentInterstitial lung diseaseOccupational medicineOssification |
| spellingShingle | Jeremy T. Hua Carlyne D. Cool Tami J. Bang Silpa D. Krefft Richard C. Kraus Cecile S. Rose Dendriform pulmonary ossification in military combat veterans: A case series Respiratory Medicine Case Reports Bronchiolitis Dendriform Deployment Interstitial lung disease Occupational medicine Ossification |
| title | Dendriform pulmonary ossification in military combat veterans: A case series |
| title_full | Dendriform pulmonary ossification in military combat veterans: A case series |
| title_fullStr | Dendriform pulmonary ossification in military combat veterans: A case series |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dendriform pulmonary ossification in military combat veterans: A case series |
| title_short | Dendriform pulmonary ossification in military combat veterans: A case series |
| title_sort | dendriform pulmonary ossification in military combat veterans a case series |
| topic | Bronchiolitis Dendriform Deployment Interstitial lung disease Occupational medicine Ossification |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213007124001795 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeremythua dendriformpulmonaryossificationinmilitarycombatveteransacaseseries AT carlynedcool dendriformpulmonaryossificationinmilitarycombatveteransacaseseries AT tamijbang dendriformpulmonaryossificationinmilitarycombatveteransacaseseries AT silpadkrefft dendriformpulmonaryossificationinmilitarycombatveteransacaseseries AT richardckraus dendriformpulmonaryossificationinmilitarycombatveteransacaseseries AT cecilesrose dendriformpulmonaryossificationinmilitarycombatveteransacaseseries |