Investigation of skin reactions in complex interventional radiology procedures

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the radiation induced skin reactions, if any, on patients who underwent complex interventional radiology (IR) procedures and received cumulative air kerma (Ka) above 5 Gy, and experimentally validate the onset of skin reaction and estimate probable causes of such reactions. Six patients who underwent complex IR procedures and received Ka exceeding 5 Gy were followed up for a period of 2 years after the procedure to check for occurrence of skin reactions. Out of six patients, one patient reported with severe skin injury after a period of one month of IR procedure while another patient reported skin injury within 24 h after the IR procedure. The remaining 4 patients did not show any visible skin injury/reactions followed up for a period of two years after IR procedure. Reddening and peeling of patient skin reported within 24 h of the IR procedure were not concurring with exposed skin areas and this was validated by the phantom study. The follow up study of patients who received doses exceeding the threshold for skin reactions suggests that factors other than radiation dose may play a significant role in manifestation of radiation induced skin reactions. An intensive assessment and analysis of intrinsic and extrinsic factors related to radiation sensitivity of patients prior to complex IR procedures may help in preventing radiation induced skin reactions.