title: Visual sensations during megavoltage radiotherapy to the orbit attributable to Cherenkov radiation.
abstract: During megavoltage photon and electron beam radiotherapy treatment involving the eye, patients commonly report visual sensations; "nerve stimulation" is the conventional explanation. We propose that the phenomenon can be attributed to Cherenkov radiation inside the eye. The threshold electron energy for Cherenkov radiation in water is 260 keV. The human retina is able to perceive approximately 5-14 visible photons in 0.001 s. A single 500 keV electron traversing 1 mm of water will induce nearly 15 Cherenkov visible range photons. We propose that a portal image involving the eye will produce sufficient Cherenkov radiation to be detected by the retina.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA. francis.newman@uchsc.edu
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asadi-Zeydabadi
authors.forename: Vikram D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Durairaj
authors.forename: Meisong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stuhr
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kavanagh
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009915:Orbit / Q000528:radiation effects*; D017785:Photons; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*