Pathologic changes of the gastrointestinal tract due to welding fumes

Fourteen welders were examined with the purpose to evaluate the incidence and the type of pathologic changes of the gastrointestinal tract due to the exposure to welding fumes. The medical examination was followed by endoscopic and bioptic study of gastric and duodenal mucosa. The results show the presence of pathologic changes, mainly of flogistic type, in all the microscopic investigations, although the appearance of the mucosa was generally normal. Moreover, the results of this investigation suggest that pathologic changes of gastrointestinal tract could precede those of the respiratory tract.