Low-Dose Fluoroscopy Protocol for Diagnostic Cerebral Angiography

Abstract

Purpose: We applied a low-dose fluoroscopic protocol in routine diagnostic cerebral angiog-raphy and evaluated the feasibility of the protocol. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a total of 60 patients who underwent diagnostic cerebral angiography for various neurovascular diseases from September to Novem-ber 2019. Routine protocols were used for patients in the first phase and low-dose protocols in the second phase. We compared radiation dose, fluoroscopy time, and complications between groups. Results: Age, diseases, and operators were not significantly different between the two groups. The mean fluoroscopy dose significantly decreased by 52% in the low-dose group (3.09 vs. 6.38 Gy·cm2); however, the total dose was not significantly different between the two groups (34.07 vs. 33.70 Gy·cm2). The total fluoroscopic time was slightly longer in the low-dose group, but the difference was not statistically significant (12.2. vs. 12.5 minutes). In all patients, angiography was successfully performed without complications. Conclusion: The low-dose fluoroscopy protocol is feasible to apply for diagnostic cerebral angiography in that this protocol could significantly reduce the fluoroscopic dose.