These signs reached the peak in about the 3rd-
4th week and subsided gradually.
These skin
lesions including epilation were observed on
parts of the body not covered by clothing and
on the navel region where radioactive dusts
from neck were deposited. Histologically, these
skins were similar to ordinary radiodermatitis.
Remarkable epilation was observed in 20 patients.
Two patients who did not wear hats at the time
of the accident revealed complete epilational
necrosis. Microscopically, coagulation necrosis
and cell infiltration in the necrotic scalp was
observed at about the 4th week. These skin
lesions recovered gradually. Thin and delicate
3. Haematological Observations
Leucocytes
Total number of leucocytes decreased gradually, showing minimum count at about +8 weeks
after the exposure. Five cases revealed a count
of less than 2,000/mm’, thirteen less than 3,000,
andfive less than 4,000. In one case, the leucocyte
level depressed to 800. A correlation was found
between these minimum count and the doses of
individual external irradiation.
Neutrophil level also depressed. Between the
4th-8th weeks all of the cases got minimum
values, which were proportional to the dose of
radiation received (Fig. 3).
In most cases a shift
hairs began to grow again at the beginning of
May, and in 2-3 months they grew back almost
completely. But, T-2 and T-7 have alopecia
to the left of the nucleus was observed.
Lymphopenia was noted between the 2nd-8th
weeks in all cases.
Leucocyte count began to increase since 8th
observed in the navel region.
elocytes appeared in peripheral blood of some
even nuw. In somepersons, capillary dilatation,
depigmentation and pigmentation ofskin arestill
For the skin
lesions every possible treatment was applied.
For decontamination, mechanical washings with
Na-EDT.A or warm water were done. The hair
of head, axilla and pubes was shaved off.
nails were cut off.
The
In one and half months
superficial contamination was almost removed.
The distribution of surface radioactivity and
skin lesioris is shown in Fig. 2.'?
week. At that time, metamyelocytes and mycases.
In most cases eosinophilia and in some cases
monocytosis were remarkable, especially with
the indication of recovery.
Eosinophilia con-
tinued in some cases for several years without
proof of parasite.
Neutrophil and lymphocyte levels recovered
gradually. However, cumulative distribution
curve of total leucocyte count at the 6th year
was still slightly displaced to the left of normal
Japanese, and in several cases, number of lym-
Radioactive Contominetion
phocytes was below 2,000/mm’.
Motility and phagocytosis of neutrophils de-
pressed remarkably.
Although they recovered
gradually, after one year these functions in some
cases were still lower than in normal persons.
Erythrocytes
At the time of hospitalization, a few patients
were slightly anaemic (RBC 3,000,000/mm’). No
reticulocyte was observed in them at the critical
stage. The cumulative percentage curves chang-
Marked
“Uy
Moderate
Fig. 2,
Mh
Slight
@e
Uleer
se
Erosion
th,
te
Erythema Epilation
Distribution of Radiodermatitis'”
ed as in Fig. 4.
Colour index was higher than 1.0. The PriceJone’s curves of erythrocytes diameter were
displaced to the right of normal one at first,
and returned to almost normal after one year.
These changes corresponded to changes of erythroblasts diameter in bone marrow.