title: Radiation exposure from abdominal imaging studies in patients with intestinal Behçet disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, several studies have revealed that diagnostic imaging can result in exposure to harmful levels of ionizing radiation in inflammatory bowel disease patients. However, the extent of radiation exposure in intestinal Behcet disease (BD) patients has not been documented. The aim of this study was to estimate the radiation exposure from abdominal imaging studies in intestinal BD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with a diagnosis of intestinal BD established between January 1990 and March 2012 were investigated at a single tertiary academic medical center. The cumulative effective dose (CED) was calculated retrospectively from standard tables and by counting the number of abdominal imaging studies performed. High exposure was defined as CED >50 mSv.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 270 patients were included in the study. The mean CED was 41.3 mSv, and 28.1% of patients were exposed to high levels of radiation. Computed tomography (CT) accounted for 81.7% of the total effective dose. In multivariate analyses, predictors of high radiation exposure were azathioprine/6-mercaptopurine use, surgery, and hospitalization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Approximately a quarter of intestinal BD patients were exposed to harmful levels of diagnostic radiation, mainly from CT examination. Clinicians should reduce the number of unnecessary CT examinations and consider low-dose CT profiles or alternative modalities such as magnetic resonance enterography.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea ; Department of Internal Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Yoon Suk
authors: YS
authors: Jung
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Dong Il
authors: DI
authors: Park
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Chang Mo
authors: CM
authors: Moon
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Soo Jung
authors: SJ
authors: Park
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Sung Pil
authors: SP
authors: Hong
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Tae Il
authors: TI
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Won Ho
authors: WH
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Jae Hee
authors: JH
authors: Cheon
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000528:radiation effects; D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Clinical course; Intestinal Behcet disease; Prognostic factors; Radiation