[The occupational radiation-induced cataract in five industrial radiographers].

UNLABELLED: The industrial uses of ionizing radiation in Tunisia are expanding, especially in industry and most particularly in the nondestructive testing of welds. Thus workers operating in the non-destructive testing of welds may develop a radiation-induced cataract varying in time to onset depending on the dose.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the characteristics of the radiation-induced cataract in patients exposed to ionizing radiation, determine the risk factors of radiation-induced cataracts.

METHODS

This was an anamnestic, clinical, and environmental study of five cases of radiation-induced cataract in workers employed in non-destructive testing of welds.

RESULTS

This series of five cases had a mean age of 30.2 years and 5.53 years of work experience, ranging from 14 months to 15 years. All the patients were male and industrial radiographers specialized in nondestructive testing of welds. The average duration of exposure to ionizing radiation was 5.53 years. None of the patients had worn protective gear such as eye goggles. The ophthalmic check-up for the five special industrial radiographers showed punctuate opacities in three cases, punctiform opacities in one eye in one case, and phacosclerosis with bilateral lens multiple crystalline stromal opacities in a case of micro-lens opacities in both eyes with opalescence of both eyes in one case. These cataracts had been declared as occupational diseases.

CONCLUSION

The value of a specialized ophthalmologic surveillance among these workers and the early diagnosis of lens opacities must be emphasized.