A PHANTOM STUDY SHOWING THE IMPORTANCE OF BREAST SHIELDING DURING HEAD CT

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the dose to the breasts during head computed tomography (CT) if lead shielding is used. The study was performed in two major hospitals using helical and axial protocols on an anthropomorphic phantom. Measurements were performed with and without the use of a lead shield of 0.5 mm equivalent density. The results showed a significant decrease in dose with the lead shielding in both hospitals. During the helical protocol, the use of shielding significantly reduced the dose by 96% in Hospital A and 82% in Hospital B. The dose reduction during axial protocol was also significant: 95% in Hospital A and 86% in Hospital B with lead shielding. Considering the significant dose reduction of 82% up to 96% during this study, we highly recommend the shielding of breasts regardless of the protocol used during head CT examinations.