Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology

T. F. Babenko, P.A. Fedirko, R.Y. Dorichevska, N.V. Denysenko, L. A. Samoteikina, O. P. Tyshchenko

State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical
Sciences of Ukraine», 53 Melnykova Street, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine

The risk of macular degeneration development in persons antenatally irradiated as a result of Chornobyl NPP accident

Objective. Assess the risk of macular degeneration development in persons exposed in utero as a result of Chornobyl NPP accident.
Materials and methods. The object of the study was the state of the macular area of the retina of 84 individuals exposed in utero as a result of the Chornobyl disaster. They were surveyed at the age of 14–30. The results of stan- dardized ophthalmic examinations conducted between 2000 and 2016 were used. The control group consisted of 165 persons who have not undergone prenatal exposure and were examined at the same age as the core group. All patients were examined according to the formalized ophthalmic protocol procedure, examination included ophthal- moscopy and fundus-camera photography (VISUCAM lite Digital Camera, Zeiss). Statistical analysis of the survey results was carried out using the free trial version of «Open Epi 2.2.1» software package.
Results. It is shown that the prevalence of macular degeneration of the retina at the age of 14–30 for persons exposed in utero was 95.23 ± 32.03 in 1000 and compared with control age (17.86 ± 10.31 in 1000) was significant- ly higher (c2 = 7.827, p = 0.0026).
Conclusions. In the under 30 age group of the antenatally exposed there already appear macular degenerations whose clinical picture resembles age-related macular degeneration. It is proved that the prevalence of macular degeneration was significantly higher in the group of antenatally exposed as compared with non-irradiated control at the same age.
Key words: ionizing radiation, persons exposed in utero, Chornobyl accident, age-related macular degeneration.

Problems of radiation medicine and radiobiology. 2016;21:172–177.