Radiation dose and establishment of a regression model for dose estimation in pediatric chest CT
10.13491/j.issn.1004-714X.2025.05.006
- VernacularTitle:儿童胸部CT辐射剂量与剂量估算回归模型建立
- Author:
Ziyu ZHAO
1
;
Yu LIANG
2
;
Yutong ZHANG
2
;
Zifan WEI
2
;
Xinxing MA
1
Author Information
1. Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
2. Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China;Department of Medical Imaging Science, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
- Publication Type:OriginalArticles
- Keywords:
Pediatric chest CT;
Radiation dose;
SSDE;
DLP;
Orthogonal distance regression
- From:
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health
2025;34(5):654-659
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the differences in radiation dose during chest CT examinations among children of different age groups and establish dose estimation regression models. Methods Chest CT data from 135 children aged 4 to 15 years were retrospectively collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between January 2022 and December 2023. The children were divided into three age groups: 4-5 years, 6-10 years and 11-15 years. CT scanning parameters (tube voltage, tube current, scan range) and dosimetry parameters including volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) dose length product (DLP), and size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) were recorded. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare intergroup differences. A Pearson correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between age and dose indicators. Both linear and nonlinear regression models were constructed. Results Age showed a weak positive correlation with CTDIvol (r = 0.27), a moderate positive correlation with DLP (r = 0.60), and a moderate negative correlation with SSDE (r = −0.55). Linear regression analysis revealed that DLP increased with age (y = 117.85 + 9.81x, R2 = 0.36), while SSDE decreased with age (y = 12.4 − 0.18x, R2 = 0.32). Using orthogonal distance regression, the goodness-of-fit of the nonlinear models for DLP and SSDE significantly improved (R2 = 0.99 and 0.94, respectively). Conclusion In pediatric chest CT dose assessment, CTDIvol underestimates radiation dose compared to SSDE and fails to account for patient body size. The dose estimation models constructed with orthogonal distance regression outperform those established using the least squares method, demonstrating higher fitting accuracy, and can serve as a reference for personalized dose management in pediatric CT examinations.
