A COMPARISON BETWEEN DIGITAL FLUOROSCOPIC HARD COPIES AND 105-MM SPOTFILMS IN EVALUATING VESICOURETERAL REFLUX IN CHILDREN

Objective. To compare fluoroscopic freeze-frame digital images with co nventional 105-mm spot films during voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) with regard to diagnostic quality and radiation dose. Materials and me thods. VCUG was performed on 57 consecutive children by a commercially available fluoroscopic digital system. Both freeze-frame digital imag es and conventional 105-mm spot films were obtained during 90 s of flu oroscopy. Skin radiation dose was assessed separately for spot films a nd for both fluoroscopy and spot films, employing thermoluminescent cr ystals on the anterior surface of the body. Patients were classified i nto three age groups: group A younger than 12 months, group B 1-5 year s old and group C 5-12 years of age. Results. Digital and conventional images provided diagnostically identical results in 108 out of 114 ur eters examined (94.7 %). Percentage reductions in skin radiation dose due to the fluoroscopic hard copies compared with the four 105-mm radi ographs were 53.8 %, 50.5 % and 57.1 % for groups A, B and C, respecti vely. Conclusion. Substitution of conventional 105-mm spot films durin g VCUG with digital fluoroscopic hard copies resulted in a substantial reduction in radiation dose. Digital images were as accurate as the c onventional films in excluding vesicoureteric reflux (VUR). The two me thods correlated well in diagnosing and grading VUR.