Pediatric fracture diagnosis--ultra-low-dose CT with an effective dose equal to that of radiographs

• Published in: RöFo : Fortschritte auf dem Gebiet der Röntgenstrahlen und der bildgebende Verfahren Vol. 184; no. 11; p. 1026
• Main Authors: Moritz, J D, Hoffmann, B, Sehr, D H, Eggerking, J, Keil, K, Caliebe, A, Dischinger, J, Heller, M, Bolte, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 01-11-2012
• Subjects: Algorithms; Animals; Child; Disease Models, Animal; Fractures, Bone - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Joint Dislocations - diagnostic imaging; Multiple Trauma - diagnostic imaging; Radiation Dosage; Sensitivity and Specificity; Swine; Tomography, Spiral Computed - methods
• ISSN: 1438-9010
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1313060

Computed tomography (CT) plays an important role in trauma diagnosis in children, especially for complex fractures. The aim of this study was to examine the diagnostic value of ultra-low-dose-CT (ULD-CT) with an effective dose equal to that of radiographs in an experimental study and to compare its results with those of radiographs.
Limb bones of dead young pigs served as a model for pediatric bones. A total of 51 fractured and non-fractured bones were examined with a 64 multislice-CT with a standard dose protocol as gold standard, with two ultra-low-dose-protocols, and with standard radiographs with different exposures.
In spite of high background noise the examinations of ULD-CT were not adequate only in 2 of 204 cases. ULD-CT was slightly superior to radiographs in detection of fractures. ULD-CT could significantly better characterize the fractures than radiographs. The overall result of ULD-CT was significantly better than that of radiographs with standard exposure.
ULD-CT with the effective dose of radiographs is successfully applicable in pediatric fracture diagnosis, and its overall result is significantly better than that of radiographs.