A new practical model of testes shield: the effectiveness during abdominopelvic computed tomography.
The goal of our prospective study was to measure the effect of a new  standard model male gonad shield on the testicular radiation exposure during  routine abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT). Two hundred male patients who  underwent upper abdominal and pelvic CT examinations were included in our  study. To prepare the testes shield (TS), 2 No. 8 fluoroscopy  radiation-protection gloves made of bismuth (0.35 mm lead equivalent) were  used. These gloves were invaginated into one another and their fingers were  turned inside out. Scrotums of all patients were pushed into these  lead-containing gloves. Upper abdominal CT (n = 6), pelvic CT (n = 9), and  abdominopelvic scanning (n = 185) were performed. Immediately after the CT  examinations and at postprocedural day 1, the scrotal examinations were  repeated. None of the patients exhibited scrotal laceration, edema, eruption,  erythema, tenderness, or pain. During the CT examinations, 22 patients (11%)  felt unrest because of their exposed genital regions, without any adverse  effect on the procedure. Dosimetric measurements of radioactivity inside the  TS (dosimeter I) and outside it (dosimeter II) were 6.8 and 69.00 mSv,  respectively. Accordingly, the TS we used in our study reduced the radiation  exposure of the testes by 90.2% (10.1 times). We think that the use of this  radioprotective TS during radiological diagnostic and therapeutic procedures  is an appropriate approach from both a medical and legal perspective.  Therefore, we recommend this userfriendly, practical, low-cost, and effective  TS for all radiologic procedures.
Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University, 21100, Diyarbakır, Turkey. aasancaktutar@gmail.com
Ahmet Ali
AA
Sancaktutar
Yaşar
Y
Bozkurt
Hakan
H
Önder
Haluk
H
Söylemez
Murat
M
Atar
Necmettin
N
Penbegül
Tevfik
T
Ziypak
Güven
G
Tekbaş
Abdülkadir
A
Tepeler
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001729:Bismuth; D004867:Equipment Design; D017575:Gloves, Protective; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000009:adverse effects; D010388:Pelvis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D013737:Testis / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry; D055815:Young Adult
D001729:Bismuth