Noteboom The Law Firm

Mysterious Lung Disease Strikes Veterans

April 30, 2010 - Soldiers who have been exposed to burn pits and have since had had breathing problems during physical exertion may be displaying symptoms of a debilitating lung disease. Constrictive bronchiolitis cannot be detected through traditional tests which makes the illness extremely difficult to identify. Soldiers complaining of not being able to complete a run because they are short of breath will usually not trigger the test needed to detect constrictive bronchiolitis: a lung biopsy.

Dr. Miller is an Associate Professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The majority of the soldiers Miller treated at the Blanchfield Army Community Hospital were exposed to toxic smoke rising from the Northern Iraq burning Mishraq Sulfur Mine in 2003 and were complaining about shortness of breath. Miller started treatment by running traditional tests:  

• X-ray scans;
• CT scans; and
• Pulmonary functions tests.

 Traditional tests failed to produce any conclusive answers. Miller then ordered lung biopsies, which produced shocking results: 44 of 45 lung biopsies returned results showing inhalation damage. 34 soldiers were positively diagnosed with constrictive bronchiolitis. The other 10 were diagnosed with:

• Saroiddosis;
• Respiratory bronchiolitis;
• Respiratory bronchiolisitis with interstitial lung disease; and
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

 Miller testified before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs in October 2009. He called for research into the disease because, in his opinion, there is no question as to the cause of constrictive bronchiolitis in these soldiers. Miller also testified that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) downgraded the Army's assigned disability rating for this condition. As a basis for denying one veteran's disability claim, the VA told one veteran there was not enough information on his condition for the VA to consider it a disability.

President Obama signed an order putting a stop to burn pits last year. The damage, however, has already been done to what are very likely hundreds if not thousands of soldiers. These soldiers will leave the military with a condition that will be with them for the rest of their lives. Unless research begins immediately, this generation will face its very own version of Agent Orange.