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Does the use of contemporary CT scanners alter the radiation dose debate in the imaging workup for pulmonary embolism?

Posted by Dr. Daria Manos, Dr. Andrew Ross & Elena Tonkopi on August 14, 2019 in Nuclear Medicine, Chest
Patient being scanned
Patient being scanned

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare patient doses from ventilation perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (V/Q SPECT) and computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) performed on contemporary scanners. Effective dose (ED) for V/Q SPECT was calculated using organ doses per unit administered activity of the radiopharmaceuticals. Organ doses in CT were measured using nanoDot aluminium oxide optically stimulated dosemeters placed within a female adult anthropomorphic phantom. To simulate a larger patient, the phantom was wrapped in three layers of Superflab sheets. The V/Q SPECT resulted in ED of 2.82 mSv and a breast dose of 1.12 mGy. The CTPA dose was 1.82 ± 0.42 and 3.43 ± 0.91 mSv, whilst dose to the breast tissue was 2.86 ± 0.86 and 5.95 ± 0.44 mGy for small- and medium-sized patients, respectively.


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