Monte Carlo based estimation of organ and effective doses to patients undergoing hysterosalpingography and retrograde urethrography fluoroscopy procedures

Contrast investigations of hysterosalpingography (HSG) and retrograde urethrography (RUG) fluoroscopy procedures remain the dominant diagnostic tools for the investigation of infertility in females and urethral strictures in males, respectively, owing to the scarcity and high cost of services of alternative diagnostic technologies. In light of the radiological risks associated with contrast based investigations of the genitourinary tract systems, there is a need to assess the magnitude of radiation burden imparted to patients undergoing HSG and RUG fluoroscopy procedures in Tanzania. The air kerma area product (KAP), fluoroscopy time, number of images, organ dose and effective dose to patients undergoing HSG and RUG procedures were obtained from four hospitals. The KAP was measured using a flat transmission ionization chamber, while the organ and effective doses were estimated using the knowledge of the patient characteristics, patient related exposure parameters, geometry of examination, KAP and Monte Carlo calculations (PCXMC). The median values of KAP for the HSG and RUG were 2.2Gycm2 and 3.3Gycm2, respectively. The median organ doses in the present study for the ovaries, urinary bladder and uterus for the HSG procedures, were 1.0mGy, 4.0mGy and 1.6mGy, respectively, while for urinary bladder and testes of the RUG were 3.4mGy and 5.9mGy, respectively. The median values of effective doses for the HSG and RUG procedures were 0.65mSv and 0.59mSv, respectively. The median values of effective dose per hospital for the HSG and RUG procedures had a range of 1.6–2.8mSv and 1.9–5.6mSv, respectively, while the overall differences between individual effective doses across the four hospitals varied by factors of up to 22.0 and 46.7, respectively for the HSG and RUG procedures. The proposed diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for the HSG and RUG were for KAP 2.8Gycm2 and 3.9Gycm2, for fluoroscopy time 0.8min and 0.9min, and for number of images 5 and 4, respectively. The suggested DRLs for the HSG and RUG procedures may be used by the radiology departments in Tanzania for management of attained dose levels until the national DRLs are established. •Significant variations of patient doses within and across the hospitals were observed.•Image receptor field size was the most contributing factor for patient dose variations.•Image field size, number of images, mAs and fluoroscopy time were variables responsible for dose variations.•Mean values of KAP, organ dose and ED wer