Halve the dose while maintaining image quality in paediatric Cone Beam CT.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Pediatric Dentistry

Background:

• Cone beam CT (CBCT) is crucial for pediatric dentomaxillofacial assessment.
• Concerns exist regarding radiation exposure risks in pediatric patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate CBCT acquisition protocols for optimizing pediatric radiation exposure.
• To assess the clinical performance and image quality of different CBCT settings in children.

Main Methods:

• Six CBCT protocols were tested on custom anthropomorphic phantoms.
• Image quality was assessed by observers; sharpness was measured objectively.
• Effective dose was calculated using a Monte Carlo framework with pediatric voxel models.

Main Results:

• Protocols with smaller voxel sizes (180 µm) maintained high image quality and sharpness, even with reduced exposure parameters.
• A 45% reduction in effective dose was observed with a 70 kVp, 16 mAs, 180 µm protocol.
• Ultra-low dose protocols (400 µm, 7.4 mAs) yielded poor image quality unsuitable for anatomical assessment.

Conclusions:

• Significant reduction in effective radiation dose is achievable for pediatric CBCT.
• Optimal CBCT protocols can maintain diagnostic image quality while minimizing radiation exposure in children.