Perisinakis K, Seimenis I, Tzedakis A, Damilakis J
J Nucl Med. 2014;55:1273-1280
Summary
The goal of this anthropomorphic phantom-based simulation investigation was to compare the dose exposure estimates of state-of-the-art 256-slice CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) with lung perfusion scintigraphy (LPS) in pregnant patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) at different body sizes and gestation times (the end of the first, second, and third trimesters). Normalized dose data were derived for CTPA exposures at 80, 100, and 120 kV. For an average-sized pregnant patient at the end of the first trimester, the CTPA exposure yielded a maternal effective dose of 1 mSv and a fetal dose of 0.05 mGy. The maternal effective dose increased with increasing body size. The fetal dose increased with both body size and gestational age. LPS was deemed more dose-efficient than CTPA using modern 256-slice CT scanners.