Investigation of Eye Lens Dose Estimate based on AAPM Report 293 in Head Computed Tomography

Estimation of eye lens dose is important in head computed tomography (CT) examination since the eye lens is a sensitive organ to ionizing radiation.

The purpose of this study is to compare estimations of eye lens dose in head CT examinations using local size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) based on size-conversion factors of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Report No. 293 with those based on size-conversion factors of the AAPM Report No. 220.

This experimental study is conducted on a group of patients who had undergone nasopharyngeal CT examination. Due to the longitudinal (z-axis) dose fluctuation, the average global SSDE and average local SSDE (i.e. particular slices where the eyes are located) were investigated. All estimates were compared to the measurement results using thermo-luminescent dosimeters (TLDs). The estimated and measured doses were implemented for 14 patients undergoing nasopharyngeal CT examination.

It was found that the percentage differences of the volume CT dose index (CTDI_vol), average global SSDE based on AAPM No. 220 (SSDE_o,g), average local SSDE based on AAPM No. 220 (SSDE_o,l), average global SSDE based on AAPM No. 293 (SSDE_n,g) and average local SSDE based on AAPM No. 293 (SSDE_n,l) against the measured TLD doses were 22.5, 21.7, 15.0, 9.3, and 2.1%, respectively. All comparisons between dose estimates and TLD measurements gave p-values less than 0.001, except for SSDE_n,l (p-value = 0.566).

SSDE based on AAPM Report No. 293 can be used to accurately estimate eye lens radiation doses by performing the calculations on a number of specific slices containing the eyes.