• Sebastian Zensen, Denise Bos, Marcel Opitz, Johannes Haubold, Michael Forsting, Nika Guberina, and Axel Wetter.
• Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
• Acta Radiol. 2021 Mar 20: 2841851211003287.

BackgroundIn the assessment of diseases causing skeletal lesions such as multiple myeloma (MM), whole-body low-dose computed tomography (WBLDCT) is a sensitive diagnostic imaging modality, which has the potential to replace the conventional radiographic survey.PurposeTo optimize radiation protection and examine radiation exposure, and effective and organ doses of WBLDCT using different modern dual-source CT (DSCT) devices, and to establish local diagnostic reference levels (DRL).Material And MethodsIn this retrospective study, 281 WBLDCT scans of 232 patients performed between January 2017 and April 2020 either on a second- (A) or third-generation (B) DSCT device could be included. Radiation exposure indices and organ and effective doses were calculated using a commercially available automated dose-tracking software based on Monte-Carlo simulation techniques.ResultsThe radiation exposure indices and effective doses were distributed as follows (median, interquartile range): (A) second-generation DSCT: volume-weighted CT dose index (CTDIvol) 1.78 mGy (1.47-2.17 mGy); dose length product (DLP) 282.8 mGy·cm (224.6-319.4 mGy·cm), effective dose (ED) 1.87 mSv (1.61-2.17 mSv) and (B) third-generation DSCT: CTDIvol 0.56 mGy (0.47-0.67 mGy), DLP 92.0 mGy·cm (73.7-107.6 mGy·cm), ED 0.61 mSv (0.52-0.69 mSv). Radiation exposure indices and effective and organ doses were significantly lower with third-generation DSCT (P < 0.001). Local DRLs could be set for CTDIvol at 0.75 mGy and DLP at 120 mGy·cm.ConclusionThird-generation DSCT requires significantly lower radiation dose for WBLDCT than second-generation DSCT and has an effective dose below reported doses for radiographic skeletal surveys. To ensure radiation protection, DRLs regarding WBLDCT are required, where our locally determined values may help as benchmarks.

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