Constrictive Bronchiolitis in Soldiers Returning from Iraq and Afghanistan

Dyspnea has been noted in soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. In this case series, constrictive bronchiolitis was identified on lung biopsy in a cohort of soldiers who were unable to meet U.S. Army fitness standards after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Reports of respiratory symptoms have been common among soldiers who have served in the Middle East, beginning in the 1990s and more recently in soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. 1 , 2 Epidemiologic studies in the United States, England, and Australia have documented an increased incidence of respiratory disorders in soldiers who served in the Middle East, as compared with soldiers who were deployed elsewhere. 2 – 5 A 2009 study of 46,000 military personnel showed an association between the development of respiratory symptoms and service in Iraq, as well as an association with service inland versus at sea. 2 These reports suggest that . . .