Dose management software implementation in mammography

PURPOSE

This work aimed to evaluate the use of a dose management software (DMS) in mammography and analyse the clinical practice in terms of radiation exposure in screening and diagnostic mammography.

METHODS

Mean glandular dose (MGD) from approximately 10,000 images were collected and analysed taking into account anode/filter combination, projection, compressed breast thickness (CBT) and compression force. Causes of increased MGD were investigated and actions were taken when malpractice was detected.

RESULTS

MGD values for craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) exposures for different CBT were defined. The average MGD for CBT of 60-69 mm was 1.84 mGy for CC images and 1.85 mGy for MLO images for screening examinations, while for diagnostic examinations the MGD was 1.95 mGy for CC and 2.01 mGy for MLO images. As no national diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for mammography exist in Switzerland, typical mean glandular dose (MGD) values were defined as a first step towards their establishment for both screening and diagnostic examinations.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of DMS facilitated immensely the analysis of all clinical and technical parameters, the evaluation of radiation dose received by the patients, as well as the overall evaluation of radiographers' performance. The DMS disclosed the role of the medical physicist in dose management and optimization.

Eye lens dose levels in interventional rooms using simple phantom simulation, dose management software and Monte Carlo method of uncertainty assessment

This paper presents a fast method to estimate the annual eye lens dose levels for interventional practitioners applying the Monte Carlo method of uncertainty assessment. The estimation was performed by placing an anthropomorphic phantom in the typical working position, and applying the habitually employed protocol. No radiation protection devices were considered in the simulation. The results were compatible with the measurements performed during interventions by placing dosimeters in the vicinity of the eyes of two paediatric interventional cardiologists working with a fluoroscopic biplane system.