Assessment of Radiation Dose Delivered and Volume Measurement By Low- and High-Dose Diagnostic Computed Tomography: Anthropomorphic Liver Phantom Study

AIM: Liver volume measurement is a mandatory test before measure liver surgeries and transplantation. We aimed a study on the difference in volume measurement and radiation dose to an anthropomorphic liver phantom using high-dose and low-dose diagnostic computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Several measurements of the manual total volume measurement done on an anthropomorphic liver phantom mounted with thermoluminescent dosimeter. We exposed the phantom with diagnostic CT, low-dose CT, and a low-dose CT with copper filter. RESULTS: Phantom underwent ten scanning for each exposure. There was no significant difference in the total volume measurement in comparison to the phantom volume. The volume of phantom measured by low-dose CT, low-dose CT with copper phantom, and high-dose CT were 1869 ± 18 cm(3), 1852 ± 24 cm(3), and 1908 ± 12 cm(3), (P = 0.3), respectively. However, the radiation dose delivered was significantly different (1.54 mGy, 0.77 mGy, and 5.84 mGy [P = 0.001], respectively). CONCLUSION: Total liver volume measurement provides essential clinical information in several clinical conditions. We recommended that the volume measured by a low-dose CT has an excellent correlation with the diagnostic quality CT and should be a routine in the routine clinical practice. CT volumetry achieves the same result while using very less radiation exposure. It may also be used with functional imaging to give complete information.