RADIATION EXPOSURE OF THE INVESTIGATOR DURING NAVIGATED FUSION OF 124IODINE PET IMAGING AND ULTRASOUND.

To assess the radiation exposure of the investigator during navigated fusion of nuclear medicine images with ultrasound after application of I-124. Dosimetry with two different types of thermoluminescent detectors (TLD) was performed in 25 patients. The dose rate at the patient's neck was measured with a calibrated dose rate meter (DRM) and served as the standard of reference. The average exposure per investigation at the patient's neck measured by LiF:Mg,Cu,P TLDs (cumulative: 212 μSv), LiF:Mg,Ti TLDs (cumulative: 112 μSv) and DRM (cumulative: 150.3 μSv). The radiation exposure of the hand during navigated fusion of nuclear medicine imaging with 124I and ultrasound with a mean duration of 13 min is low and comparable between different methods. Yearly examinations are not expected to add a relevant cumulative risk.