Radiation dose levels in pediatric chest CT: experience in 499 children evaluated with dual-source single-energy CT

• Published in: Pediatric radiology Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 161 - 168
• Main Authors: Martine, Remy-Jardin, Santangelo, Teresa, Colas, Lucie, Jean-Baptiste, Faivre, Duhamel, Alain, Deschildre, Antoine, Remy, Jacques
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.02.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Body Weight; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Imaging; Infant; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neuroradiology; Nuclear Medicine; Oncology; Original Article; Pediatrics; Radiation Dosage; Radiography, Thoracic - methods; Radiology; Retrospective Studies; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Ultrasound; Chest; Radiation dose; Computed tomography; Lungs; Children; Peak kilovoltage; Dual-source computed tomography
• ISSN: 0301-0449; 1432-1998
• DOI: 10.1007/s00247-016-3731-7

Background The availability of dual-source technology has introduced the possibility of scanning children at lower kVp with a high-pitch mode, combining high-speed data acquisition and high temporal resolution. Objective To establish the radiation dose levels of dual-source, single-energy chest CT examinations in children. Materials and methods We retrospectively recorded the dose–length product (DLP) of 499 consecutive examinations obtained in children <50 kg, divided into five weight groups: group 1 (<10 kg, n  = 129); group 2 (10–20 kg, n  = 176); group 3 (20–30 kg, n  = 99), group 4 (30–40 kg, n  = 58) and group 5 (40–49 kg, n  = 37). All CT examinations were performed with high temporal resolution (75 ms), a high-pitch mode and a weight-adapted selection of the milliamperage. Results CT examinations were obtained at 80 kVp with a milliamperage ranging between 40 mAs and 90 mAs, and a pitch of 2.0 ( n  = 162; 32.5%) or 3.0 ( n  = 337; 67.5%). The mean duration of data acquisition was 522.8 ± 192.0 ms (interquartile range 390 to 610; median 490). In the study population, the mean CT dose index volume (CTDIvol 32 ) was 0.83 mGy (standard deviation [SD] 0.20 mGy; interquartile range 0.72 to 0.94; median 0.78); the mean DLP 32 was 21.4 mGy.cm (SD 9.1 mGy.cm; interquartile range 15 to 25; median 19.0); and the mean size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) was 1.7 mGy (SD 0.4 mGy; interquartile range 1.5 to 1.9; median 1.7). The DLP 32 , CTDI vol32 and SSDE were found to be statistically significant in the five weight categories ( P  < 0.0001). Conclusion This study establishes the radiation dose levels for dual-source, single-kVp chest CT from a single center. In the five weight categories, the median values varied 15–37 mGy.cm for the DLP 32 , 0.78–1.25 mGy for the CTDI vol32 and 1.6–2.1 mGy for the SSDE.