Risk estimates for meningiomas and other late effects after diagnostic X-ray exposure of the skull

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the contribution of diagnostic exposures to the rising rates of brain tumours and other neoplasms which are observed in several industrial nations. Included are benign tumours in the head and neck region and cataracts which are neglected in usual risk estimates by international and national radiation protection committees. Dose-effect relationships for tumours of the brain, skin, thyroid and other sites of the head region, leukaemia and cataracts are taken from the literature. Risk estimates are derived for paediatric head computed tomographies (CTs) as well as for brain tumours in adults. On the basis of estimates for Germany about the number of head scans, the annual rate of radiation-induced diseases is calculated. About 1000 annual paediatric CT investigations of the skull will lead to about three excess neoplasms in the head region, i.e. the probability of an induced late effect must be suspected in the range of some thousands. Additionally, a relevant increase of cataracts must be considered. The radiation-induced occurrence of meningiomas and other brain tumours most probably contributes to the continuously increasing incidence of these diseases which is observed in several industrial nations, as well as the exposure of the bone marrow by CT to the increase of childhood leukaemia.

S100B Serum Level is Independent of Moderate Alcohol Intoxication

“…concentration and blood ethyl alcohol concentration were measured before and after liberately drinking alcohol. The study was approved by the local Ethics Committee of the In der Notfallsituation wird vom Unfallchirurgen erwartet, dass er das Patientenrisiko durch Strahlenbelastung im Rahmen der cCT [7,8] gegen die zu erwartende Aussagekraft der cCT abwägt und entsprechend entscheidet. Um diese Entscheidung von der Erfahrungsebene unabhängig zu machen, wurden verschiedene Biomarker untersucht, um Patienten auf erhebliche Hirnschäden zu untersuchen [9 -12].…”

Cranial radiation exposure during cerebral catheter angiography

“…The best known epidemiological evidence comes from studying the effect of ionizing radiation on Israeli children, between 1948 and 1960, whose scalps were irradiated for tinea capitis and later showed a 10-fold increase in the incidence of meningiomas 28. Other reports have come from full mouth x-ray studies for dental diagnosis,29–31 diagnostic x-ray exposure of the skull,19 and cranial irradiation for tumor treatment 27 29. Hence cranial exposure has been a major concern for the diagnostic and interventional radiologist.…”

Risk of Malignancy Associated with Head and Neck CT in Children: A Systematic Review

“…More recently, Berrington et al 40 estimated mean lifetime cancer risk is 0.04% to 0.09% per head CT, utilizing BEIR VII data and age- and sex-specific scan frequencies. Pflugbeil et al 38 reported an induced incidence of 0.24 brain tumors per 1000 CT scans in children annually, using epidemiological data and studies of neoplasm induction after radiotherapy to model risk. Chodick et al 43 applied Brenner et al’s 8 method to estimate cancer mortality attributable to CT examinations in patients under 18 years of age and projected the annual number of excess lifetime cancer deaths attributable to pediatric CT to be highest in the youngest children (0.48 for girls, 0.78 for boys), declining with age.…”