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Introduction: The aim of the study was to establish and propose the utilisation of National Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) for DLP (dose length product) and CTDIvol (volume weighted computed tomography dose index) for routine computed tomography (CT) for paediatric examinations. Additionally, the study estimated signal-to-noise ratio and lifetime attributable radiation risk. The materials used include multi-detector computed tomography machine, quality control equipment, Head and Body phantoms and MeVisLab workstation. Methods: The methodology involved estimation of CTDIVOL, DLP, using a minimum of 20 patients per CT facility, imaging parameters for the head, chest, and abdomen-pelvis CT examinations. In all 300 images of randomly selected paediatric patients undergoing CT scans of head, chest, and abdomen-Pelvis from five centres. 200 images which met the selection criterion were used for the analysis. Results: The measured median and upper quartile CTDIvol for head were 6.86 and 7.33 mGy, chest was 6.98 and 6.70 mGy, abdomen-pelvis were 4.71 and 5.28 mGy respectively. While DLP for head was 1103.00 and 1249.58 mGy-cm, chest was 978.86 and 1250.42 mGy-cm, abdomen-pelvis were 565.85 and 787.05 mGy-cm. Conclusion: The results of the CTDI and DLP values were comparable to international standard values. It also recommends the use of the established CTDI and DLP as reference values for future intercomparison of data from similar studies.

Children are a distinct group of patients and should not be consider as small adults in terms of medical imaging procedures. Their size, physiology and the location of their organs change as they grow. Additionally, children have a longer life expectancy than adults hence consideration must be taken into account when the appropriate radiation dose is delivered. Therefore, the study was to estimate paediatric patients’ lifetime attributable radiation risk and dose optimisation during computed tomography examination. The materials used include five different multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) Machines, Head and Body phantom and MeVisLab (MVL) workstation. The methodology involved using weighted CTDI (CTDIW) and DLP values to estimate effective and organ dose in relation to image quality in term of SNR. In addition to the use of the estimated dose values to estimate paediatric patients’ lifetime attributable radiation risk during CT examination. In all 300 dose reports with their corresponding images of randomly selected paediatric patients undergoing CT scans of head, chest, and abdomen-Pelvis from the CT centres were collected from various CT facilities across the country. 200 of these met the selection criterion and has been analysed. The average values for organ dose and effective dose for Brain CT exam for age 0–5, 6–10 and 11–16 years were10.3mGy, 1.3965mSv; 11.18mGy, 2.2785mSv; and 19.82mGy, 4.5102mSv respectively for male patients. While the corresponding image quality for age 0–5, 6–10 and 11–16 years were 8.19; 12.08; and 17.42 respectively. These increasing trends were observed in the Chest and abdominal pelvis examinations, with the dose increasing with an increasing age based on the paediatric age and protocol that were used. the study also established a minimum SNR value of 5.1 with a corresponding minimum effective dose values of 5.8 for a balance between the minimum image quality to the minimum dose to the paediatric patient. The average cancer risk for incidence and mortality for head, chest and abdomen-pelvis examinations were in the range 1 in 10,000 to in 1,000 of the study population.

Changes in posture is among the risk factors of low back pain. The shape of the lumbar spine is influenced in a way by a strain on tendons and muscles because of abnormal posture. Little is known about what the nominal value of key radiologic angles for the Ghanaian populace is and accordingly, what comprises hypo-/hyper-lordosis. The Lumbar Lordotic Angle (LSA) and Lumbosacral Angle (LSA) are potential angles, for the examination of low back issues, in addition to treatment and diagnosis. The study was intended to measure LLA and LSA of this populace using the local data. A retrospective methodology was adopted to gather typical laterally prostrate lumbosacral radiographs of 140 subjects (15 years or more) in a recumbent position. Results: The normal LLA values varied between 20.90 to 68.00 with the mean (standard deviation) of 35.9 (9.82)° and there exist a significant difference with sex but insignificant variations among the age categories comparable to a number of the literature values. The normal LSA values varied between 15.00 and 51.00 with the mean (standard deviation) of 34.3 (7.45) ° and there was no significant variation with sex and among the age categories. Conclusion: Furthermore, it has been established that the measured values at which to consider hypolordosis (below LLA=17.9°; LSA=12.00), and hyper-lordosis (above LLA=72.0°; LSA=55.00) in the Ghana population. This study have also established that in all the various age groups between 15 and 80 years, there exist no significant difference in the mean LLA and LSA among the groups, and this affirms that the development of lumbar lordosis reaches a plateau when spine is fully developed. Furthermore, female LSA and LLA shows higher measured values compared to their male counterpart in the Ghanaian population which confirmed other study values in literature. Finally, a reference chart of LSA and LLA has also been developed for clinical application in Ghana.

Introduction Cerebral ventricular morphology and morphometric changes in response to some ensuing cerebral pathological processes. These changes may be use as an indication to detect pathological processes. Thus, it is imperative to establish a measuring procedure to measure very vital organ dimensions to aid clinal diagnoses and to optimize these procedures for clinical application. In addition to establishing baseline data of ventricular volumes to enable research and clinical comparison, and adopting an easy-to-use graphical user interface for the computation of organ dimensions. Aim The study aimed at establishing standard measuring protocol in addition to baseline reference data using normal Magnetic Resonance Images of the brains and developing a user-friendly graphical user interface for the estimation of ventricular volume for clinical applications. Methodology A retrospective study design approach was adopted, and a convenient sampling technique was used to collect a total of 200 magnetic resonance images and 112 of that met the inclusion criteria were analysed at two imaging facilities in Ghana. Data samples were processed using MeVisLab (MVL) DICOM image analysis and processing software application tools for segmentation and measurements of the images. Minitab statistical tool was used for statistical modeling of ventricular volume models, and script writing (coding) was done using Python application programme and was also used to design and developed a GUI for the ventricular volume calculator. Results The overall mean age for the study is 54 years and ranged between 20-89yrs. The overall mean and S.D of the ventricular volume calculated in the study was 33.60 ± 12.07 cm3. The mean Total Ventricular volume (TVV) per each age group, that is, for 20–29 yrs, 30–39 yrs, 40–49 yrs, 50–59 yrs, 60–69 yrs, 70–79 yrs and 80–89 yrs were; (15.49 ± 2.09cm3), (23.47 ± 2.30cm3), (29.41 ± 2.93cm3), (32.14 ± 1.83cm3), (35.54 ± 1.48cm3), (47.54 ± 2.01cm3) and (51.60 ± 3.66cm3) respectively. Regression linear equations modeled per ventricle were as follows: for left lateral ventricle volume [LLVV (cm3) = 0.95 + 1.89L*W*T], for right lateral ventricle volume [RLVV (cm3) = 2.41 + 1.51L*W*T], for the third ventricle volume [3RDVV (cm3) = 0.81 + 0.77L*W*T] and for the fourth ventricle volume [4THVV (cm3) = 0.88 + 0.95L*W*T]. Conclusion Optimized standard reference dataset of ventricular volumes and sizes of normal brains are crucial baseline determinants for early detection of cerebral diseases and mathematical modeling and GUI holds high prospects in the computation of these organ dimensions in medical imaging.