RADIATION INDUCED CENTRAL RETINAL ARTER OCCLUSION

Changes as delayed radiation retinopathy, optic nerve atrophy and retinal vessel occlusion may occur in the posterior segment of the eye due to irradiation of head and neck tumors in case of the radiation ports included posterior segment of the eye and high dose of radiation were received by the retina. 18 patients with carcinoma of nasopharynx and paranasal sinuses who had received radiotherapy 53±4 months ago have been examined ophthalmologically and angiographically. The average total dose of irradiation was 6260 cGy/32 fr/6.5 weeks. A central retinal artery trombosis was developed in one patient (%6) among 18 patients after the external beam irradiation. This patient had received second course of radiation for the recurrent tumor. In the other patients, there was no abnormality on ophtalmoscopic and angiographic examination of the retina.