Female Breast Radiation Exposure During CT Pulmonary Angiography

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Abstract
OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to estimate the effective radiation dose to the female breast during CT pulmonary angiography compared with other routine diagnostic imaging techniques.MATERIALS AND METHODS. We retrospectively reviewed the demographic data of patients who underwent CT pulmonary angiography between May 2000 and December 2002, the diagnostic yield of those studies, and the estimated effective radiation dose to the breast incurred during CT. The estimated effective radiation dose was calculated using the ImPACT CT (Impact Performance Assessment of CT) dosimetry calculator and the CT dose index (CTDI) and was compared with the average glandular dose for two-view screening mammography.RESULTS. During the study period, 1,325 CT pulmonary angiograms were obtained. Sixty percent (797) of the scans were obtained on female patients. The mean age of scanned females was 52.5 years (range, 15–93 years). Of the studies performed in females, 401 (50.31%) were negative, 151 (18.95%) were nondiag...