Size-specific Dose Estimates for Chest, Abdominal, and Pelvic CT: Effect of Intrapatient Variability in Water-equivalent Diameter.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To develop software to automatically calculate size-specific dose estimates (SSDEs) and to assess the effect of variations in water-equivalent diameter (Dw) along the z-axis on SSDE for computed tomographic (CT) examinations of the torso.

Materials and methods

In this institutional review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant, retrospective study, a software program was used to calculate Dw at each image position in 102 consecutive CT examinations of the combined chest, abdomen, and pelvis. SSDE was calculated by multiplying the size-dependent conversion factor and volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) at each image position. The variations in Dw along the z-axis were determined for six hypothetical scanning ranges: chest alone; abdomen alone; pelvis alone; chest and abdomen; abd

SUBMITTER: Leng S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4479973 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature