title: Radiation dose optimisation and risk estimation to patients and staff during hysterosalpingography.
abstract: Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is an efficient radiological examination for the evaluation of the female reproductive tract. However, it involves unavoidable irradiation to the ovaries of women in childbearing age. Therefore, radiation dose optimisation is required in order to reduce the probability of the associated risks. This study attempts to: measure patient and staff doses, estimate the effective dose and radiation risk for HSG using digital fluoroscopic images. Thirty-seven patients with infertility were examined using two digital X-ray machines. Thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD) were used to measure entrance surface dose (ESD) for patients and staff during the procedure. The mean ESD and thyroid surface dose of the patient were 3.60 and 0.17 mGy, respectively, while the mean ESD for the staff was 0.18 mGy per procedure. The patient overall risk for cancer and hereditary effects is 24 x 10(-6), while the risk for the staff is negligible. HSG with fluoroscopic technique demonstrate improved dose characteristics, compared to the conventional radiographic-based technique, reducing the surface dose by a factor of 3, without compromising the diagnostic findings.
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Department, Medical School, University of Thessaly, 22 Papakyriazi Street, 41222 Larissa, Hellas, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sulieman
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Theodorou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vlychou
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Topaltzikis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roundas
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fezoulidis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kappas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007047:Hysterosalpingography / Q000009:adverse effects; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D010053:Ovary / Q000528:radiation effects; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry