Breast surface radiation dose during coronary CT angiography: reduction by breast displacement and lead shielding

The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the effect of cranial breast displacement and lead shielding on in vivo breast surface radiation dose in women undergoing coronary CT angiography.

Fifty-four women (mean age, 59.2 ± 9.8 years) prospectively underwent coronary 64-MDCT angiography for evaluation of chest pain. The patients were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 16), breast displacement group (n = 22), or breast displacement plus lead shielding group (n = 16). Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were placed superficially on each breast quadrant and the areolar region of both breasts. Breast surface radiation doses, the degree of breast displacement, and coronary image quality were compared between groups. A phantom dose study was conducted to compare breast doses with z-axis positioning on the chest wall.

A total of 1620 TLD dose measurements were recorded. Compared with control values, the mean breast surface dose was reduced 23% in the breast displacement group (24.3 vs 18.6 mGy, p = 0.015) and 36% in the displacement plus lead shielding group (24.3 vs 15.6 mGy, p = 0.0001). Surface dose reductions were greatest in the upper outer (displacement alone, 66%; displacement plus shielding, 63%), upper inner (65%, 58%), and areolar quadrants (44%, 53%). The smallest surface dose reductions were recorded for A-cup breasts: 7% for the displacement group and 3% for the displacement plus lead group (p = 0.741). Larger reductions in surface dose were recorded for B-cup (25% and 56%, p = 0.273), C-cup (38% and 60%, p = 0.001), and D-cup (31% and 25%, p = 0.095) sizes. Most of the patients (79%) had either good (< 50% of breast above scan range) or excellent (< 75% of breast above the scan range) breast displacement. No significant difference in coronary image quality was detected between groups. The phantom dose study showed that surface TLD measurements were underestimates of absorbed tissue dose by a mean of 9% and that a strong negative correlation exists between the amount of cranial displacement and breast dose.

Use of breast displacement during coronary CTA substantially reduces the radiation dose to the breast surface.