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Risk of radiation-induced lens opacities among surgeons and interventional medical staff

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Abstract

The main effect of ionizing radiation on the eyes is the onset of posterior cortical and subcapsular cataracts. Recent studies have raised questions about the mechanism of ocular damage and the threshold dose for the onset of such effects. Currently, operators may be exposed to ionizing radiation during surgical procedures. It has been estimated that urologists can be exposed to an annual dose close to or above 20 mSv/year. The aim of our study was to evaluate the frequency of cataracts in a group of professional radiological operators to verify their possible association with the radiation dose to the crystalline lens and the tasks performed. The records of 73 health workers exposed to ionizing radiation were reviewed. The average annual dose to the crystalline lens, the number of years of exposure, and the presence of radiation-compatible opacities were assessed for all operators. Lenticular opacities were observed in 16.4% of subjects. The presence of alterations was associated with exposure doses below 10 mSv and > 10 years’ experience in fluoroscopically guided procedures. Based on our results, protection of the crystalline lens against exposure to ionizing radiation by means of goggles is recommended. In addition, examination of the lens via slit lamp examination is recommended for all operators involved in interventional procedures with the current levels of radiation exposure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Viale Oxford 81, 00133, Rome, Italy

    Luca Coppeta, Antonio Pietroiusti, Anna Neri, Agostino Spataro, Elisabetta De Angelis, Stefano Perrone & Andrea Magrini

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  1. Luca Coppeta
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  2. Antonio Pietroiusti
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  3. Anna Neri
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  4. Agostino Spataro
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  5. Elisabetta De Angelis
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  6. Stefano Perrone
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  7. Andrea Magrini
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Correspondence to Luca Coppeta.

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Authors declares that they no conflict of interests.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Coppeta, L., Pietroiusti, A., Neri, A. et al. Risk of radiation-induced lens opacities among surgeons and interventional medical staff. Radiol Phys Technol 12, 26–29 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12194-018-0487-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12194-018-0487-9

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