CT-guided liver biopsy: correlation of procedure time and radiation dose with patient size, weight, and lesion volume and depth.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the effect of various factors, including overall patient size, weight, and individual lesion characteristics, on the radiation dose and procedure time required to successfully perform computed tomography (CT)-guided liver lesion biopsies.


METHODS
This Institutional-Review-Board-approved study included 209 patients (average age, 59 years; range, 19-86 years; 105 males, 104 females) who underwent CT-guided liver lesion biopsy on a four-slice multidetector row CT scanner (LightSpeed Qx/i; GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI). Medical records and images were retrospectively reviewed to obtain the following data: (a) patient weight, (b) patient size, (c) lesion volume, (d) lesion depth, (e) CT dose index (CTDI) and effective radiation dose, and (f) procedure time. Statistical analysis was performed with multiple linear regression to assess the effect of various parameters on radiation dose and procedure time.


RESULTS
CTDI was significantly correlated with patient weight (P<.01), size (P=.03), and lesion volume (P<.01). The total effective radiation dose was significantly correlated with patient size (P<.01) and lesion depth (P<.01). Total procedure time was significantly correlated with lesion volume (P<.01) and depth (P<.01). There was a positive correlation between procedure time and effective radiation dose (r(2)=.57).


CONCLUSIONS
In the current study, CT-guided liver lesion biopsy patient radiation dose was associated with both overall patient-specific features (weight and size) and specific lesion characteristics; however, the procedure duration was determined by lesion characteristics (lesion volume and depth) alone.
Li
Jianhai
J
Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Udayasankar
Unni K
UK
Carew
John
J
Small
William C
WC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*