Long Term Evaluation of Quantitative Cumulative Irradiation in Patients Suffering from ILDs.

Background: Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are an heterogeneous group of infiltrating lung pathologies, for which prompt diagnosis and continuous assessment are of paramount importance. While chest CT is an established diagnostic tool for ILDs, there are no formal guidelines on the follow-up regimen, leaving the frequency and modality of follow-up largely at the clinician's discretion.

Methods: The study retrospectively evaluated the indication of chest CT in a cohort of 129 ILD patients selected from the ambulatory care polyclinic at University Hospital of Liège.

Two-Dimensional Mammography Imaging Techniques for Screening Women with Silicone Breast Implants: A Pilot Phantom Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of three two-dimensional (2D) mammographic acquisition techniques on image quality and radiation dose in the presence of silicone breast implants (BIs). Then, we propose and validate a new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) phantom to reproduce these techniques. Images were acquired on a single Hologic Selenia Dimensions unit.

Risk of hematological malignancies from CT radiation exposure in children, adolescents and young adults.

Over one million European children undergo computed tomography (CT) scans annually. Although moderate- to high-dose ionizing radiation exposure is an established risk factor for hematological malignancies, risks at CT examination dose levels remain uncertain. Here we followed up a multinational cohort (EPI-CT) of 948,174 individuals who underwent CT examinations before age 22 years in nine European countries.

Establishing a priori and a posteriori predictive models to assess patients' peak skin dose in interventional cardiology. Part 2: results of the VERIDIC project.

Background: Optimizing patient exposure in interventional cardiology is key to avoid skin injuries.

Purpose: To establish predictive models of peak skin dose (PSD) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention (CTO), and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures.

Material And Methods: A total of 534 PCI, 219 CTO, and 209 TAVI were collected from 12 hospitals in eight European countries.

Validation of organ dose calculations with PyMCGPU-IR in realistic interventional set-ups.

Introduction: Interventional radiology procedures are associated with high skin dose exposure. The 2013/59/EURATOM Directive establishes that the equipment used for interventional radiology must have a device or a feature informing the practitioner of relevant parameters for assessing patient dose at the end of the procedure. This work presents and validates PyMCGPU-IR, a patient dose monitoring tool for interventional cardiology and radiology procedures based on MC-GPU.

Dose Estimation for the European Epidemiological Study on Pediatric Computed Tomography (EPI-CT).

Within the European Epidemiological Study to Quantify Risks for Paediatric Computerized Tomography (EPI-CT study), a cohort was assembled comprising nearly one million children, adolescents and young adults who received over 1.4 million computed tomography (CT) examinations before 22 years of age in nine European countries from the late 1970s to 2014. Here we describe the methods used for, and the results of, organ dose estimations from CT scanning for the EPI-CT cohort members.

Accuracy of skin dose mapping in interventional cardiology: Comparison of 10 software products following a common protocol.

Purpose: Online and offline software products can estimate the maximum skin dose (MSD) delivered to the patient during interventional cardiology procedures. The capabilities and accuracy of several skin dose mapping (SDM) software products were assessed on X-ray systems from the main manufacturers following a common protocol.

Methods: Skin dose was measured on four X-ray systems following a protocol composed of nine fundamental irradiation set-ups and three set-ups simulating short, clinical procedures.

Review of skin dose calculation software in interventional cardiology.

Purpose: In interventional cardiology, patients may be exposed to high doses to the skin resulting in skin burns following single or multiple procedures. Reviewing and analysing available software (online or offline) may help medical physicists assessing the maximum skin dose to the patient together with the dose distribution during (or after) these procedures.

Method And Results: Capabilities and accuracy of available software were analysed through an extensive bibliography search and contacts with both vendor and authors.

Establishing the European diagnostic reference levels for interventional cardiology.

Interventional cardiac procedures may be associated with high patient doses and therefore require special attention to protect the patients from radiation injuries such as skin erythema, cardiovascular tissue reactions or radiation-induced cancer. In this study, patient exposure data is collected from 13 countries (37 clinics and nearly 50 interventional rooms) and for 10 different procedures. Dose data was collected from a total of 14,922 interventional cardiology procedures.

Characterisation of grids of point detectors in maximum skin dose measurement in fluoroscopically-guided interventional procedures.

Purpose: Point detectors are frequently used to measure patient's maximum skin dose (MSD) in fluoroscopically-guided interventional procedures (IP). However, their performance and ability to detect the actual MSD are rarely evaluated. The present study investigates the sampling uncertainty associated with the use of grids of point detectors to measure MSD in IP.

Assessment of Local Dose Reference Values for Recanalization of Chronic Total Occlusions and Other Occlusions in a High-Volume Catheterization Center.

The increasing number and complexity of these procedures have led to a higher number of patients at risk for tissue reactions like skin injuries. Monitoring of their dose indicators is essential in recognizing these patients. The aim of this work was to determine local diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for recanalization of chronic total occlusion (CTO) and other occlusions procedures.

Measurement of maximum skin dose in interventional radiology and cardiology and challenges in the set-up of European alert thresholds.

To help operators acknowledge patient dose during interventional procedures, EURADOS WG-12 focused on measuring patient skin dose using XR-RV3 gafchromic films, thermoluminescent detector (TLD) pellets or 2D TL foils and on investigating possible correlation to the on-line dose indicators such as fluoroscopy time, Kerma-area product (KAP) and cumulative air Kerma at reference point (CK). The study aims at defining non-centre-specific European alert thresholds for skin dose in three interventional procedures: chemoembolization of the liver (CE), neuroembolization (NE) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Skin dose values of >3 Gy (ICRP threshold for skin injuries) were indeed measured in these procedures confirming the need for dose indicators that correlate with maximum skin dose (MSD).

Establishment of trigger levels to steer the follow-up of radiation effects in patients undergoing fluoroscopically-guided interventional procedures in Belgium.

The accumulated dose to the skin of the patient during fluoroscopically-guided procedures can exceed the thresholds for tissue reactions. In practice, interventionalists have no direct information about the local procedure-related skin doses in their patient, causing suboptimal or delayed treatment. In current study, the accumulated Kerma-Area-Product (KAP) values were registered, as well as the reference air kerma (Ka,r) values, if available, for almost 200 cases undergoing seven different procedures.

Optimization of computed tomography (CT) arthrography of hip for the visualization of cartilage: an in vitro study.

Objective: We sought to optimize the kilovoltage, tube current, and the radiation dose of computed tomographic arthrography of the hip joint using in vitro methods.

Materials And Methods: A phantom was prepared using a left femoral head harvested from a patient undergoing total hip arthroplasty and packed in a condom filled with iodinated contrast. The right hip joint of a cadaver was also injected with iodinated contrast.

A study of the correlation between dose area product and effective dose in vascular radiology.

The purpose of the multi-centre study was to assess dose area product (DAP) and effective dose of patients undergoing angiography of the lower limbs in Belgium and to investigate the correlation between DAP and effective dose. DAP values were measured in 12 centres and compared with the national diagnostic reference levels (DRLs). The effective dose (E) was estimated by multiplying the DAP with case-specific conversion coefficients (CCs) that were calculated with Monte Carlo software MCNP5.

Diagnostic reference levels in angiography and interventional radiology: a Belgian multi-centre study.

The purpose of this study was to determine diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for common angiographic and interventional procedures in Belgium. Dose Area Product (DAP) measurements were performed on 21 systems, (13 angiography and 4 vascular surgery centres). Type of procedure, total DAP, patient weight and height were collected on a daily basis during 1 y.

Image quality assessment using the CD-DISC phantom for vascular radiology and vascular surgery.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate image quality (IQ) associated with vascular radiology and vascular surgery procedures in Belgium and to determine reference values for future image quality assessment. IQ was evaluated with the CD-DISC contrast-detail phantom. This circular PMMA phantom contains 225 holes with different diameter and depth, to quantify resolution and contrast.

Evaluation of colour images printed by a thermal dye diffusion process.

Dry printing of medical images, without photochemicals, may be based on the principle of thermal dye diffusion. The Drystar (Agfa Gevaert, Mortsel, Belgium) system was evaluated in colour-coded Doppler examinations of the carotid arteries. A total of 25 consecutive patients were examined for the colour test and 37 patients for the black-and-white test.

[Evaluation of diagnostic efficacy in radiology. Literature review].

The recent development of new imaging procedures has lead the radiologists to assessing the diagnostic efficacy of the available examination techniques in order to reduce medical care costs. In cooperation with epidemiologists and statisticians, several methods of statistic analysis of the diagnostic efficacy of the procedures such as sensitivity and specificity evaluation, ROC analysis, disease prevalence, predictive value of tests, etc..

Mach bands in mammography.

The radiologic appearance of tissue surrounding a tumor often influences the characterization of a cancerous lesion. An example is the radiolucent halo that is sometimes seen around breast cancers. Mammograms of 108 malignant tumors (74 scirrhous tumors, 17 partially scirrhous nodular tumors, and 17 nodular tumors) and eight benign tumors that showed peritumoral fat were retrospectively evaluated.