title: Location of radiosensitive organs inside pediatric anthropomorphic phantoms: Data required for dosimetry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the location of radiosensitive organs in the interior of four pediatric anthropomorphic phantoms for dosimetric purposes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four pediatric anthropomorphic phantoms representing the average individual as newborn, 1-year-old, 5-year-old and 10-year-old child underwent head, thorax and abdomen CT scans. CT and MRI scans of all children aged 0-16 years performed during a 5-year-period in our hospital were reviewed, and 503 were found to be eligible for normal anatomy. Anterior-posterior and lateral dimensions of twelve of the above children closely matched that of the phantoms' head, thoracic and abdominal region in each four phantoms. The mid-sagittal and mid-coronal planes were drawn on selected matching axial images of patients and phantoms. Multiple points outlining large radiosensitive organs in patient images were identified at each slice level and their orthogonal distances from the mid-sagittal and mid-coronal planes were measured. In small organs, the coordinates of organs' centers were similarly determined. The outlines and centers of all radiosensitive organs were reproduced using the coordinates of each organ on corresponding phantoms' transverse images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The locations of the following radiosensitive organs in the interior of the four phantoms was determined: brain, eye lenses, salivary glands, thyroid, lungs, heart, thymus, esophagus, breasts, adrenals, liver, spleen, kidneys, stomach, gallbladder, small bowel, pancreas, colon, ovaries, bladder, prostate, uterus and rectum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The production of charts of radiosensitive organs inside pediatric anthropomorphic phantoms was feasible and may provide users reliable data for positioning of dosimeters during direct organ dose measurements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, 71003 Iraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inkoom
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, Iraklion 71003, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raissaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, 71003 Iraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Perisinakis
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, 71003 Iraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Maris
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, 71003 Iraklion, Crete, Greece. Electronic address: John.Damilakis@med.uoc.gr.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Damilakis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Anatomy; Anthropomorphic phantoms; Dosimetry; Pediatric; Radiosensitive organs