Paediatric urological investigations--dose comparison between urology-related and CT irradiation

Urological investigation in children frequently involves high radiation doses; however, the issue of radiation for these investigations receives little attention compared with CT.

To compare the radiation dose from paediatric urological investigations with CT, which is commonly regarded as the more major source of radiation exposure.

We conducted a retrospective audit in a tertiary paediatric centre of the number and radiation dose of CT scans, micturating cystourethrography exams and urological nuclear medicine scans from 2006 to 2011. This was compared with radiation doses in the literature and an audit of the frequency of these studies in Australia.

The tertiary centre audit demonstrated that the ratio of the frequency of urological to CT examinations was 0.8:1 in children younger than 17 years. The ratio of the radiation dose of urological to CT examinations was 0.7:1. The ratio in children younger than 5 years was 1.9:1. In Australia the frequency of urological procedures compared with CT was 0.4:1 in children younger than 17 years and 3.1:1 in those younger than 5 years. The ratio of radiation-related publications was 1:9 favouring CT.

The incidence and radiation dose of paediatric urological studies is comparable to those of CT. Nevertheless the radiation dose of urological procedures receives considerably less attention in the literature.