Abstract
Our aim in this study was to determine the relationship between chest circumference and the radiation doses received by breast tissues during Dual-Source Computed Tomography (DSCT) cardiac scans. Routine cardiac DSCT examinations with similar exposure lengths were applied to 30 female patients. The scanogram image, multi-slice helical scan x-ray tube voltage and anode-cathode current were adjusted automatically according to attenuation for each patient during the scanogram acquisition. The standard protocol was otherwise applied to all patients. The 30 patients had an average weight of 67.8±15.3 kg, and the average length of the scanned region was 278.0±11.6 mm. Radiation doses were calculated from the dose-length product (DLP) and the computed tomography dose index (CTDI) scanner data values. The correlations between radiation dose and chest circumference were investigated. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. For routine cardiac DSCT scans, the average values were as follows: total DLP: 715.54±317.01 mGycm, CTDIvol: 40.79±19.41 mGy, and effective dose (ED): 17.89±7.93 mSv. The chest circumference of patients correlates well with their radiation exposure (p<0.01). The distribution of different tissues throughout the human body may vary among races and genders. Because of this, many researchers use body mass index (BMI) to set image quality and predict the radiation dose distribution from general computed tomography (CT) examinations. Additional anthropomorphic phantom studies should be conducted to determine more accurate conversion factors and, hence, better ED predictions.
Highlights
The radiation dose received by radiosensitive organs, such as the breasts, in computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) is a critical concern for women because of the increased incidence of breast cancer in the population [1]
The radiation doses were calculated from the dose-length product (DLP) and computed tomography dose index (CTDI) values of scanner data
The conversion factor used to calculate the effective dose from CT coronary angiography was 0.025
Summary
The radiation dose received by radiosensitive organs, such as the breasts, in computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) is a critical concern for women because of the increased incidence of breast cancer in the population [1]. Higher effective doses from CTCA examinations have been reported in females than in males [2,3,4,5]. Using breast shields such as bismuth may significantly decrease the radiation dose to the breasts, but these types of shields cause image artifacts that reduce diagnostic accuracy [1, 6]. Radiation exposure to the heart is lower than that of tissues and organs closer to the skin (e.g., breasts) because of the dose absorption. Damage to the organs closer to the skin might be underestimated [9]
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