Abstract

Overview

Carrying a cellphone against the body has become commonplace in our world replete with smartphones. However, the acute and chronic health effects of radiofrequency radiation emitted by these devices are poorly understood.

Findings

• Ultrasonography was used to image the popliteal vein of a healthy volunteer before and after exposure to an idle but active smartphone placed against her knee for five minutes.
• Initial images show a normal anechoic lumen. Post-exposure images reveal a dramatic change to a coarsely hypoechoic interior with sluggish flow, indicating rouleaux formation.
• Further examination after the subject moved around showed continued, albeit less dramatic, rouleaux formation.

Conclusion

This study introduces a novel in vivo method to assess rouleaux formation induced by radiofrequency radiation. The findings suggest a need for further research across the general population to explore the prevalence of rouleaux formation and its potential as a unique biomarker for predicting morbidity linked to radiofrequency exposure.