Radiologists and visual acuity.

Abstract

Visual acuity (VA) and potential risks to the radiologist's eyesight have been relatively neglected subjects in the radiological literature. This study comprises two parts, the first consisting of a questionnaire on this subject sent to a random sample of 480 practising radiologists in the United Kingdom, and the second, a spot check of the VA of radiologists in our department. Of questionnaires, 73 %were returned. Of respondents, 76 % felt that ionising radiation could affect their vision, but only 13 % used lead glasses on a regular basis. A total of 71 % felt that regular monitoring of eyesight should be required. Of 25 tested radiologists, 5 had suboptimal VA and could benefit from further correction. The pertinent literature is reviewed, and a case for periodic eyesight testing is presented, including VA and grey-scale discrimination.