Organ Dose Assessment in Radiological Central Venous Port Procedures: An Experimental Phantom-Based Study.

Abstract

This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate radiation doses delivered to radiosensitive thoracic and cervical organs during fluoroscopy-guided central venous port (CVP) catheter placement using a standardized experimental setup to identify the most exposed anatomical regions. An Alderson Rando anthropomorphic phantom equipped with calibrated MTS-100 thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) was employed to simulate a typical CVP fluoroscopic procedure. The setup used a Siemens Artis Zee C-arm fluoroscopy system with a total active exposure time of 8 min, replicating clinical practice. Absorbed dose measurements were obtained from 14 organ sites, including lungs, thyroid, spinal cord, and upper airway structures. The highest radiation doses were observed in thoracic organs, with measured values of 7.84 ± 0.28 mGy for the right middle lung, 5.23 ± 0.40 mGy for the thoracic spinal cord, and 3.91 ± 1.47 mGy for the right lung apex. The thyroid received moderate exposure, recording 1.48 ± 0.35 mGy (right lobe) and 1.41 ± 0.68 mGy (left lobe). In contrast, distant organs such as the pituitary gland and ethmoid sinus exhibited negligible absorbed doses (< 0.03 mGy). Fluoroscopic CVP placement results in substantial localized radiation exposure, particularly to the lungs and thyroid. Quantitative organ dose mapping using an anthropomorphic phantom provides a valuable reference for optimizing patient safety protocols and minimizing radiation exposure during interventional procedures.