Prevalence of corneal injuries among Halabja populations exposed to chemical weapons: a cross-sectional study

Introduction In 1988, during the Iran-Iraq War, the Iraqi government, led by Saddam Hussein’s regime, employed chemical weapons in the Kurdish town of Halabja, marking a tragic event. Despite limited data on the long-term effects of this exposure on the eyes, the current study focuses on reporting the prevalence of corneal injuries among affected populations.Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study conducted from December 2021 to December 2023 involved those patients with corneal injuries resulting from exposure to chemical weapons. Data collected from Halabja hospital records, including demographic characteristics, treatment modalities, and diagnostic approaches, including initial assessment, visual acuity testing, slit lamp biomicroscopy, tonometry, corneal topography, specular microscopy, pachymetry, and optical coherence tomography. The acquired data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Software 25.0.Results Among the 71 participants enrolled in the study, 34 (47.9%) were male, and 37 (52.1%) were female, with an average age of 54.26 ± 10.66 years. The most common finding was normal eye conditions observed in almost 40 (27.03%) cases, followed by mild corneal opacity in 20 (13.51%) cases and penetrating keratoplasty in 17 (11.49%) cases. Regarding the assessment results of the patients, 86 (60.56%) cases were on follow-up. Conditions with cataract surgery done or with the need for cataract surgery were noted in 17 (11.97%) cases.Conclusion The finding revealed a high prevalence of corneal complications post-sulfur mustard exposure, underscoring the complex interaction among geographical factors, medical interventions, and environmental conditions.