Article

Image quality and radiation dose from pediatric abdomen-pelvis CT scans

¹ Medical Physics and Radiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
² Department of Medical Physics and Radiology, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

^* Corresponding author: Keshtkar.dmohammad@yahoo.com

Received: 21 May 2024
Accepted: 1 October 2024

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess the organ doses, effective dose, image quality, and the potential risk of developing radiation-related cancer in children undergoing computed tomography (CT) scans of the abdomen-pelvis. The research involved 219 pediatric patients (129 males and 90 females) who underwent an abdomen-pelvis CT examination between May 2021 and December 2023. The patients were categorized into four age groups: <1, 1–4, 5–9, and 10–14 years old. The NCICT software version 3.0 was utilized to estimate the organ doses and effective dose. Estimation of cancer incidence risks were conducted according to the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) VII report. The image quality was evaluated by measuring the level of noise, as well as the signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise ratio. The colon received the highest organ dose in all age groups. The risk of all cancers was 75.38 per 100,000 for the <1 age group, and it decreased to 56.10 for the 10-14 age group. The cancer risks were statistically higher for females (p < 0.05). The mean noise values for the liver, aorta, and paraspinal muscle were found to be 9.08, 11.04, and 8.21, respectively. The findings of present study indicate that pediatric abdomen-pelvis CT examinations carry a potential risk of cancer that should not be disregarded. Consequently, it is crucial to prioritize radiation protection measures in children compared to adults.