MDCT Radiation Dose Can Be Further Reduced By Appropriate Timing In The Use Of Breast Shields In Children

Using breast shields during pediatric chest multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) reduces radiation dose and minimally increases image noise, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock.

"It's important for radiologists to limit dose in CT, especially to children, and especially to radiosensitive regions, such as breast tissue; and radiologists should be familiar with strategies to do this," said Donald P. Frush, MD, lead author of the study. "Two strategies are breast shielding, and the other is automatic tube current modulation (ATCM). However, the combination of the shield and ATCM may not be effective since the equipment might increase the dose to penetrate the shield," said Dr. Frush.

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