title: PET/CT and SPECT/CT dosimetry in children: the challenge to the pediatric imager.
abstract: Both positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) contribute significantly to the effective dose from PET/CT imaging. For PET imaging, the effective dose is related to the administered activity and age of patient. For CT, there are many factors that determine effective dose. Effective dose is dependent on tube current (mA), tube potential (kVp), rotation speed, pitch, slice thickness, patient mass, and the exact volume of the patient that is being imaged. The CT scan may be acquired at exposure parameters similar to those used for diagnostic CT, but more commonly, the tube current is reduced and a localization CT scan of somewhat less than optimal diagnostic quality is obtained. A very low dose CT scan for attenuation correction may also be considered.
authors: Nuclear Medicine Section, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and University of Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA. michael.gelfand@cchmc.org
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Gelfand
authors: Lisa C
authors: LC
authors: Lemen
mesh_terms: D001822:Body Burden; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000009:adverse effects; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000009:adverse effects; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes