title: Evaluation of image-enhanced paediatric computed tomography brain examinations.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of reducing the radiation dose to paediatric patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) brain examination by using image-enhancing software. Artificial noise was added to the raw data collected from 20 patients aged between 1 and 10 y to simulate tube current reductions of 20, 40 and 60 mA. All images were created in duplicate; one set of images remained unprocessed whereas the other was processed with image-enhancing software. Three paediatric radiologists assessed the image quality based on their ability to visualise the high- and low-contrast structures and their overall impression of the diagnostic value of the image. For patients aged 6-10 y, it was found that dose reductions from 27 mGy (CTDI(vol)) to 23 mGy (15 %) in the upper brain and from 32 to 28 mGy (13 %) in the lower brain were possible for standard diagnostic CT examinations when using the image-enhancing filter. For patients 1-5 y, the results for standard diagnostics in the upper brain were inconclusive, for the lower brain no dose reductions were found possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. kerstin.ledenius@vgregion.se
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ledenius
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stålhammar
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wiklund
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fredriksson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thilander-Klang
mesh_terms: D001822:Body Burden; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*