Estimation of the Risk of Cancer Associated with Pediatric Cranial Computed Tomography

Computed Tomography (CT) is a Iife saving tool for diagnosing Illness and injury in children (0 - 12 years). The use of computed tomography scan of the head, abdomenlpehris, chest or spine in children has increased were the last three decades [I]. Approximately 5 to 9 million CT examinations are performed annually on children in the United States 121. The increased use of CT in pediatrics, combined with variability in radiation doses, has resulted in many children receiving a high dose of radiation during diagnostic examination Radiation dose is of particular concern in pediatric patients because children's rapid dividing cells are more radiosensitive than those of adults (3). Mo, children have a longer lifetime to manifest potential radiation injuries some of which have long latency periods before they are expressed. The potential for expression of radiation induced cancer later in lie is the primary concern in medical x-ray examination of pediatric patients [3].