EYE FINDINGS IN ATOMIC BOMB SURVIVORS OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI: 1963–19641

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Abstract
Amor. J. Epid., 1969, 89: 129–138.—Ophthalmologic findings are reported for 1,627 residents of Hiroshima and 841 residents of Nagasaki, of whom 40% had, by early estimates, received doses in excess of 200 rad when atomic bombs exploded. A few were in utero ATB. As in previous studies, only two findings were related to ionizing radiation: axial opacities visible by ophthalmoscope and polychromatic changes of the posterior subcapsule visible only with the slitlamp biomicroscope. Ten % of the Nagasaki high dose group had axial opacities. Similar opacities were seen less frequently in all other groups. Percentages of polychromatic posterior subcapsular changes varied with age and also with radiation dose. Large differences between the cities in the frequency of such findings may be due to differences in radiation or to observer variation. Radiation-induced lens changes seem to be less frequent now than previously, and there is no reliable evidence that polychromatic changes progress to axial opacities. Only in children who were in utero ATB is there any evidence of diminished visual acuity at high dose levels. In persons of all ages visual acuity is diminished by moderate and large polychromatic changes, but few people are so affected.

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