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Estimation of radiation dose and risk to children undergoing cardiac catheterization for the treatment of a congenital heart disease using Monte Carlo simulations

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Abstract

Background

Children diagnosed with congenital heart disease often undergo cardiac catheterization for their treatment, which involves the use of ionizing radiation and therefore a risk of radiation-induced cancer.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to calculate the effective and equivalent organ doses (HT) in those children and estimate the risk of exposure-induced death.

Materials and methods

Fifty-three children were divided into three groups: atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). In all procedures, the exposure conditions and the dose-area product meters readings were recorded for each individual acquisition. Monte Carlo simulations were run using the PCXMC 2.0 code and mathematical phantoms simulating a child's anatomy. The HT values to all irradiated organs and the resulting E and risk of exposure-induced death values were calculated.

Results

The average dose-area product values were, respectively, 40 ± 12 Gy·cm2 for the ASD, 17.5 ± 0.7 Gy·cm2 for the VSD and 9.5 ± 1 Gy·cm2 for the PDA group. The average E values were 40 ± 12, 22 ± 2.5 and 17 ± 3.6 mSv for ASD, VSD and PDA groups, respectively. The respective estimated risk of exposure-induced death values per procedure were 0.109, 0.106 and 0.067%.

Conclusion

Cardiac catheterizations in children involve a considerable risk for radiation-induced cancer that has to be further reduced.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Physics Department, Medical School, University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias, 11527, Athens, Greece

    Emmanuel Yakoumakis, Helen Kostopoulou, Anastastios Dimitriadis & Evaggelos Georgiou

  2. Medical Physics Unit, ‘Agia Sofia’ Hospital, Levadias & Thivon, Goudi, Athens, Greece

    Triantafilia Makri

  3. Medical Physics Department, Anticancer-Oncology Hospital of Athens ‘Agios Savvas’, 171 Alexandras Avenue, 115 22, Athens, Greece

    Ioannis Tsalafoutas

  4. 158 Kolokotroni, Byronas, 162 31, Athens, Greece

    Ioannis Tsalafoutas

Authors
  1. Emmanuel Yakoumakis
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  2. Helen Kostopoulou
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  3. Triantafilia Makri
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  4. Anastastios Dimitriadis
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  5. Evaggelos Georgiou
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  6. Ioannis Tsalafoutas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ioannis Tsalafoutas.

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Yakoumakis, E., Kostopoulou, H., Makri, T. et al. Estimation of radiation dose and risk to children undergoing cardiac catheterization for the treatment of a congenital heart disease using Monte Carlo simulations. Pediatr Radiol 43, 339–346 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-012-2510-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-012-2510-3

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