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