Acute and Chronic Pathological Effects of Sulfur Mustard on Genitourinary System and Male Fertility

Abstract

Purpose: To review the acute and chronic pathological effects of sulfur mustard on thegenitourinary system and male fertility.Materials and Methods: We searched PubMed and Google Scholar to find studiesrelated to the sulfur mustard-induced genitourinary effects and male infertility. Informationin the abstracts of non-English related papers as well as those in the proceedings ofcongresses on sulfur mustard were reviewed as well.Results: In acute phase after sulfur mustard exposure, evidences are in favor of microscopicand macroscopic renal lesions, very low androgen levels, and impaired spermatogenesis.Several years following sulfur mustard exposure, the long-term pathologicaleffects vary from the renal function impairment to the gonadal damage, in particular, thespermatogenesis. Nevertheless, carcinogenic effect of sulfur mustard on the genitourinarysystem as well as the prevalence of male infertility among sulfur mustard-exposedveterans in the chronic post-exposure phase is still unclear.Conclusion: Sulfur mustard causes both acute and chronic injuries to different parts ofthe genitourinary system

Keywords

• mustard gas
• urogenital system
• infertility