Long term ocular and dermatologic findings after combined beta and gamma-ray exposure during Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident

Background In April 1986, numerous reactor workers and firemen were exposed to high doses of ionizing radiation during the Chernobyl nuclear power pla nt accident. Apart from high ambient gamma-ray exposures they received inho mogeneous contamination with p-rays from fission products, resulting in sev ere skin exposure. Patients and Methods Sixteen of these so called Liquidators were repeatedly examined between 1991 and 1996. Their doses ranged from 0.35 to 9 Gy, part ly confirmed by determination of chromosomal aberrations. Ophthalmologic ex amination included non-subjective assessment of lenticular radiation damage with an electronic Scheimpflug camera system. Digital image analysis allow ed the comparison of opacification units to previous and normal findings. Results Four Liquidators had posterior subcapsular opacifications in differ ent degrees, one presented only after cataract extraction. One patient had dense corticonuclear cataracts and pseudoexfoliation-like changes. Three me n had severe dry eye syndrome. Eight men had no ocular complications. Retin al radiation damages were absent. 15 Liquidators suffered from severe chron ic cutaneous radiation damage, which led to amputations in 3 cases. Conclusions A relation between ocular and dermatological findings was not e xpected and could, in fact, not be seen. The comparison of posterior subcap sular opacification and doses revealed no distinct relation, although it in dicates a correlation that is here not quantified. The doses represent orga n doses for the bone marrow which is primarily exposed to deeper penetratin g gamma-radiation. Thus they need not be correlated with combined beta- and gamma-doses in organs such as skin and eye because the superficial exposur e due to beta-radiation may differ greatly form the whole body exposure as reflected in bone marrow doses.