Endovascular treatment of stroke during pregnancy: Measuring the radiation exposure dose of lower abdomen using the human body phantom

Abstract

Objective: Exposure to radiation, contrast medium, and antithrombotic agents is problematic in endovascular treatment of stroke during pregnancy. Here, we report the possible effect of radiation exposure on fetal gonadal tissue during radiological examinations.
Methods: We measured the amount of radiation exposure to the lower abdomen by transbrachial cerebral angiography using the RANDO® Phantom system and thermoluminescence dosimetry.
Results: The head (external occipital protuberance) was exposed to a maximum radiation dose of approximately 800 mGy, and the gonad was exposed to a mean radiation dose of approximately 0.05 mGy. Radiation exposure to the fetus was exceptionally low.
Conclusions: Radiation exposure to the fetus, and therefore its influence on the fetus, is exceedingly low in endovascular treatment of stroke during pregnancy.