Fetal dose conversion factor for fetal computed tomography examinations: A mathematical phantom study

This study aimed to examine the relationship between fetal dose and the dose-length product, and to evaluate the impact of the number of rotations on the fetal doses and maternal effective doses using a 320-row multidetector computed tomography unit in a wide-volume mode. The radiation doses for the pregnant woman and the fetus were estimated using ImPACT CT Patient Dosimetry Calculator software for scan lengths ranging from 176 to 352 mm, using a 320-row unit in a wide-volume mode and an 80-row unit in a helical scanning mode. In the 320-row unit, the fetal doses in all scan lengths ranged from 3.51 to 6.52 mGy; the maternal effective doses in all scan lengths ranged from 1.05 to 2.35 mSv. In the 80-row unit, the fetal doses in all scan lengths ranged from 2.50 to 3.30 mGy; the maternal effective doses in all scan lengths ranged from 0.83 to 1.68 mSv. The estimated conversion factors from the dose-length product (mGy·cm) to fetal doses (mGy) for the 320-row unit in wide-volume mode and the 80-row unit in helical scanning mode were 0.06 and 0.05 (cm^-1) respectively. While using a 320-row MDCT unit in a wide-volume mode, operators must take into account the number of rotations, the beam width as automatically determined by the scanner, the placement of overlap between volumetric sections, and the ratio of overlapping volumetric sections.