Cytogenetic studies were performed in lymphocytes from hospital workers exposed to low doses of radiation (1.6-42.71 mSv). When compared with controls, exposed workers showed a significant increase in structural chromosome-type aberrations, acentric fragments being the most frequent alteration. Our results suggest that acentric fragments are good indicators of exposure to very low doses of radiation, although no dose-effect correlation was observed. The incidence of numerical abnormalities (hyperdiploidy) was significantly increased.