Comparison of gonadal radiation doses from CT enterography and small-bowel follow-through in pediatric patients

OBJECTIVE. CT enterography is superior to small-bowel follow-through (SBFT) for diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is widely assumed that the radiation dose from CT enterography is greater than that from SBFT in the pediatric patient. This study was designed to compare gonadal doses from CT enterography and SBFT to verify the best imaging choice for IBD evaluation in children. This study also challenges the assumption that CT enterography imparts a higher radiation dose through comparison of calculated radiation doses from CT enterography and SBFT. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Patients 0-18 years old who underwent either CT enterography or SBFT over a 2-year period were included. The CT enterography group consisted of 39 boys and 51 girls, whereas the SBFT group consisted of 89 boys and 113 girls. CT enterography was performed at 120 kVp and approximately 132 mAs (range, 54-330 mAs) using weight-based protocols. SBFT used automated control of kilovoltage and tube current-exposure time product. Patient demographics and technical parameters were collected for CT enterography and SBFT, data were cross-paired between CT enterography and SBFT, and gonadal dose was calculated. RESULTS. Mean (± SD) CT enterography testis and ovarian doses were 0.93 ± 0.3 cGy (n = 39) and 0.64 ± 0.2 cGy (n = 51), respectively. Mean SBFT testis and ovarian doses were 2.3 ± 1.6 cGy (n = 89) and 1.49 ± 0.3 cGy (n = 113), respectively. Mean fluoroscopy time for SBFT was 2.6 ± 2 minutes. Gonadal dose for CT enterography was significantly lower than that for SBFT in boys and girls (p < 0.001). SBFT dose was lower in girls than boys (p < 0.001), whereas CT enterography dose was higher in boys than girls (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION. Gonadal dose for CT enterography was lower than that for SBFT for boys and girls of all sizes and age. Controlled exposure time made CT enterography dose more consistent, whereas the range of dose for SBFT was highly operator dependent and related to extent of disease. Thus, for IBD, CT enterography is preferred over SBFT for all children.