Ocular hypertonia and crystalline lens opacities in healthcare workers exposed to ionising radiation.

Some activities performed by healthcare workers may still involve total or partial exposure to ionising radiation exceeding the limit values. In addition to the appearance of crystalline lens opacities which may lead to rays-cataract, recent studies have indicated possible induction of ocular hypertonia in occupationally exposed subjects. The aim of this study was to establish the actual prevalence of ocular hypertonia and crystalline lens opacities in a group of healthcare workers exposed to ionising radiation. The collected data failed to show significant risk of ocular hypertonia and suggested that crystalline lens opacity was not an important indicator of exposure. Notwithstanding, preventive and periodic (every 5 years) ophthalmologic control may prove helpful for medicolegal purposes. Namely, such control would record congenital crystalline lens opacities in many individuals and would thus rule out unjustified claims of occupational disease due to exposure to ionising radiation. Additionally, ophthalmologic control should focus on different and probably more important ocular risks for the radiologists such as the ocular fatigue resulting from a prolonged use of a video display terminal or other diagnostic screens or electrodiaphanoscopes.