Comparison Between Low- Dose and Standard- Dose Unenhanced Computed Tomography Protocols for Characterization of Ureteric Stones
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2024-09-30
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Background: the incidence of Ureterolithiasis is approximatly (11%) of men and (7%) of women. The helical Computed tomography is consider now the [gold standard] for diagnosis of both renal and ureteric calculi. Reducing of the charge from (199 to 75 mA) lead to comparable detection of stone while reducing radiation exposure.
Aim of the study: This study conducted a comparison between low and standard doses of Computed tomography technology in the diagnosis of ureterolithiasis.
Patients and method: This is an observational, and prospective study conducted on 120 patients, 72 males and 48 females, aged between 19 and 50 years who attended the kidney and urinary tract Diseases Consultation Clinic in Al-Hussien Teaching Hospital during the period extending from June 2023 to January 2024 in Al Nasiriyah City, Thi-Qar Province, Iraq. All patients suffered from ureterolithiasis and who underwent both Standard –dose Computed tomography [SDCT] and Low-dose Computed tomography [LDCT], respectively in the same day, was performed via Revolution EVO, GE Healthcare, Japan, without intravenous or oral contrast.
Results: The mean age of patients in this study was 30.8±9.42 years, the mean weight of patients was 81.03±11.11 kg, the mean height was 164.97±7.82 cm, and lastly, the mean Body Mass Index[BMI] was 29.89±4.59 kg/m2. Most of the patients in this study had only one stone (50%), 60% of those had stones at the distal ureter, 19% at the mid ureter, and 21% at the proximal ureter, most of the patients had stones on the left side of the body (67%). There was highly significant difference in Total Effective Dose between both protocols, it was 13.39 ± 1.04 mSv in SDCT compared to 1.34 ± 0.44 mSv in LDCT, with a p-value less than 0.001.
Conclusion: A significantly decreased dosage index protocol could be a viable substitute for Standard-dose Computed tomography [SDCT] for evaluating suspected stones, especially in younger patients who are improbable to have other medical conditions and who need follow up.