Skip to main content
Log in

Advances in CT technology and application to pediatric imaging

  • ALARA-CT
  • Published:
Pediatric Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The use of imaging in both hospital and non-hospital settings has expanded to more than 70 million CT procedures in the United States per year, with nearly 10% of procedures performed on children. The availability of multiple-row detector CT (MDCT) systems has played a large part in the wider usage of CT. This rapid increase in CT utilization combined with an increasing concern with regard to radiation exposure and associated risk demands the need for optimization of MDCT protocols. This manuscript will briefly discuss how technology has changed in regard to MDCT protocols, helping to reduce radiation dose in CT, especially in pediatric imaging.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. NCRP (2009) National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. Ionizing radiation exposure of the population of the United States, NCRP Report No. 160 (National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, MD, USA

  2. Berrington de Gonzalez A, Mahesh M, Kim KP et al (2009) Projected cancer risks from computed tomographic scans performed in the United States in 2007. Arch Intern Med 169(22):2071–2077

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Smith-Bindman R, Lipson J, Marcus R et al (2009) Radiation dose associated with common computed tomography examinations and the associated lifetime attributable risk of cancer. Arch Intern Med 169:2078–2086

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Mahesh M (2009) MDCT physics: the basics—technology, image quality and radiation dose. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  5. NAS/NRC (National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council) (2006) Health risks from exposure to low levels of ionizing radiation, BEIR VII, Phase 2. National Academy Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  6. Mettler FA Jr, Huda W, Yoshizumi TT et al (2008) Effective doses in radiology and diagnostic nuclear medicine: a catalog. Radiology 248(1):254–263

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Thomas KE, Wang B (2008) Age-specific effective doses for pediatric MSCT examinations at a large children’s hospital using DLP conversion coefficients: a simple estimation method. Pediatr Radiol 38:645–656

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Tubiana M, Feinendegen LE, Yang C et al (2009) The linear no-threshold relationship is inconsistent with radiation biologic and experimental data. Radiology 251:13–22

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Little MP, Wakeford R, Tawn EJ et al (2009) Risks associated with low doses and low dose rates of ionizing radiation: why linearity may be (almost) the best we can do. Radiology 251:6–12

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. McCollough CH, Bruesewitz MR, Kofler JM Jr (2006) CT dose reduction and dose management tools: overview of available options. Radiographics 26:503–512

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Kalra MK, Maher MM, Toth TL et al (2004) Techniques and applications of automatic tube current modulation for CT. Radiology 233:649–657

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Singh S, Kalra MK, Moore MA et al (2009) Dose reduction and compliance with pediatric CT protocols adapted to patient size, clinical indication, and number of prior studies. Radiology 252:200–208

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Mahesh M (2009) Slice wars vs. dose wars in multiple-row detector CT. J Am Coll Radiol 6(3):201–202

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kroft LJM, Roelofs JJH, Geleijns J (2010) Scan time and patient dose for thoracic imaging in neonates and small children using axial volumetric 320-detector row CT compared to helical 64-, 32-, and 16-detector row CT acquisition. Pediatr Radiol 40:294–300

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Achenbach S, Marwan M, Schepis T et al (2009) High-pitch spiral acquisition: a new scan mode for coronary CT angiography. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 3:117–121

    Google Scholar 

  16. Molen VD, Geleijns J (2007) Overranging in multisection CT: quantification and relative contribution to dose-comparison of four 16-section scanners. Radiology 241(1):208–216

    Google Scholar 

  17. Deak PD, Langner O, Lell M et al (2009) Effects of adaptive section collimation on patient radiation dose in multisection spiral CT. Radiology 252(1):140–147

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Marin D, Nelson RC, Schindera ST et al (2010) Low-tube-voltage, high-tube-current multidetector abdominal CT: improved image quality and decreased radiation dose with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction algorithm—initial clinical experience. Radiology 254:145–153

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. AAPM (2008) American Association of Physicists in Medicine. The measurement, reporting and management of radiation dose in CT, Task Group Report 96. Available via http://www.aapm.org/pubs/reports/RPT_96.pdf. Accessed 18 February 2009

  20. NEMA (2010) National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Computed tomography dose check (NEMA Standards Publication XR 25–2010. Available via http://www.nema.org/stds/xr25.htm. Accessed 13 May 2011

  21. New York Times (2010) The radiation boom: after stroke scans, patients face serious health risks. Available via http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/health/01radiation.html?ref=radiation_boom. Accessed 19 May 2011

  22. AAPM (2011) American Association of Physicists in Medicine. AAPM recommendations regarding notification and alert values for CT scanners: guidelines for use of the NEMA XR 25 CT dose-check standard. Available via http://www.aapm.org/pubs/CTProtocols/documents/NotificationLevelsStatement_2011-04-27.pdf. Accessed 13 May 2011

  23. Strauss KJ, Goske MJ, Kaste SC et al (2010) Image gently: ten steps you can take to optimize image quality and lower CT dose for pediatric patients. AJR 194:868–873

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Disclaimer

The supplement this article is part of is not sponsored by the industry. Dr. Mahesh has no financial interest, investigational or off-label uses to disclose.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mahadevappa Mahesh.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mahesh, M. Advances in CT technology and application to pediatric imaging. Pediatr Radiol 41 (Suppl 2), 493 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-011-2169-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-011-2169-1

Keywords

Navigation