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Vascular effects of occupational exposure to low‐dose ionizing radiation
Author(s) -
Tomei Francesco,
Papaleo Bruno,
Fantini Sergio,
Iavicoli Sergio,
Baccolo Tiziana Paola,
Rosati Maria Valeria
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199607)30:1<72::aid-ajim12>3.0.co;2-5
Subject(s) - ionizing radiation , medicine , microcirculation , radiobiology , nuclear medicine , occupational exposure , pathology , irradiation , radiation therapy , radiology , emergency medicine , physics , nuclear physics
Damage to the microcirculation caused by high‐dose ionizing radiation is well known but data concerning low‐dose exposure are scant and contrasting. We employed capillary microscopy to study dermal microcirculation damage resulting from occupational exposure to ionizing radiation doses lower than 5 rem/year (maximum permissible dose in Italy). We studied 145 physicians (60.7% radiologists, 33.8% orthopedic specialists, 5.5% cardiologists) occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation and a control group of 106 subjects in comparable but different occupations not exposed to ionizing radiation or to other skin hazards. All subjects were administered a clinical protocol and underwent capillary microscopy of the fingernail‐fold. Capillary microscopy alterations were classified as absent, mild, moderate, marked and severe. Our data confirm that occupational exposure to low‐dose ionizing radiation can lead to morphological and functional alterations of the dermal microcirculation, which can be identified early by capillary microscopy. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.