Age-Dependent Changes in Effective Dose in Pediatric Brain CT: Comparisons of Estimation Methods

The effective dose (ED) in computed tomography (CT) may be calculated by multiplying the dose–length product (DLP) by a conversion factor. As children grow, automatic exposure control increases the DLP, while the conversion factor decreases; these two changes affect the ED in opposite ways. The aim of this study was to investigate the methods of ED estimation according to age in pediatric brain CT. We retrospectively analyzed 980 brain CT scans performed for various clinical indications in children. The conversion factor at each age, in integer years, was determined based on the values at 0, 1, 5, and 10 years provided by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), using a curve (curve method) or lines (linear method). In the simple method, the ED was estimated using the ICRP conversion factor for the closest age. We also analyzed the ED estimated by a radiation dose management system. Although the median DLP at each age increased with age, the median ED estimated by the curve method was highest at 0 years, decreased with age, and then plateaued at 9 years. The linear method yielded mildly different results, especially at 2 and 3 years. The ED estimated by the simple method or the radiation dose management system showed inconsistent, up-and-down changes with age. In conclusion, the ED in pediatric brain CT decreases with age despite increased DLP. Determination of the conversion factor at each age using a curve is expected to contribute to estimating the ED in pediatric CT according to age.