Paediatric effective radiation doses during brain computed tomography angiography procedure

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology
• Pediatric Health

Background:

• Children exhibit heightened sensitivity to ionizing radiation compared to adults.
• Computed tomography (CT) is a primary source of medical radiation exposure, constituting over 70% of public doses.
• Pediatric CT brain scans are frequently performed, necessitating accurate radiation risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the radiation risk associated with CT brain diagnostic procedures in pediatric patients.
• To determine and analyze radiation doses received by children undergoing CT brain scans.

Main Methods:

• Radiation doses were assessed for 353 pediatric patients over one year.
• Data on radiation dose parameters, including CTDIvol and DLP, were collected from CT system protocols.
• Doses were analyzed for brain scans performed with and without contrast agents.

Main Results:

• Mean doses for CT brain with contrast were 40.6 ± 8.8 mGy (CTDIvol) and 850 ± 230 mGy.cm (DLP).
• Mean doses for CT brain without contrast were 40.9 ± 9.4 mGy (CTDIvol) and 866.1 ± 289.3 mGy.cm (DLP).
• The measured radiation doses were found to be comparable to previously published studies and international diagnostic reference levels (DRLs).

Conclusions:

• Radiation doses from pediatric CT brain scans are within established international benchmarks.
• Optimization of CT acquisition parameters is crucial to minimize radiogenic risks in sensitive pediatric populations.
• Continued attention to radiation dose optimization is recommended for pediatric patients undergoing CT examinations.