Application of the buccal micronucleus cytome assay on child population exposed to sinus X-ray

•The effects of low-dose radiation are still controversial.•Dosimetry and B-MN Cyt assay on paediatric patients before/after X-ray was done.•Doses were the highest in the primary beam and significantly lower at other loci.•More buccal cells with condensed chromatin was observed 14 d after the X-ray.•Further studies are needed aiming at securing paediatric patients safety. Diagnostic X-ray examinations of paranasal sinuses use a low-dose ionizing radiation to achieve medically indicated purposes. The effects of low-dose radiation are still controversial, making it a highly prioritized field of research. As there is a need to evaluate the effects of low-dose ionizing radiation and that children might be a more vulnerable population, we performed simultaneous physical dosimetry and buccal cell micronucleus cytome assay on pediatric patients before and after an X-ray examination of the sinuses. The study comprised 20 subjects aged 11.9 ± 3.6 years, and BMI