Radiation Damage

• Cells sensitive to radiation include anagen hair follicles, germinal basal cells, melanocytes and endothelial cells
• Early changes:
  • Erythema, epidermal blisters and oedema, erosions and ulceration
  • Healed by scarring, hyperpigmentation with lower doses and hypopigmentation with higher doses
  • Temporary or permanent alopecia
• Chronic changes:
  • Scarring, altered pigmentation, alopecia
  • Epidermal and adnexal atrophy
  • Degeneration of vascular and elastic tissue
  • Fibrosis of dermal and subcutaneous tissue
  • Ulceration
  • In severe damage, squamous cell carcinoma may develop