CT Scanning in Children in a Country with Limited Resources (Burkina Faso)

Objectives: To carry out the assessment of CT scans in children at the Charles de Gaulle University Hospital Center (CGUPH). Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective collection descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from July 1 to November 29, 2021 in the Radiology Department of the CGUPH, having included computed tomography (CT) reports of patients under 18 years of age. The variables explored were the data reported on CT reports (type of scan, reason for examination, dose delivered, and abnormalities described). Results: Two hundred and ninety explorations were collected. The average age was 2.93 years with extremes of 0 and 17 years. The sex ratio was 1.35. Computed tomography scans mainly explored the cranioencephalic, spinal and abdominal stages. The most common reasons for exploration were fetal suffering and head injuries. The most frequently described lesions were anoxo-ischemic sequelar lesions. Mean irradiation doses were 1096 ± 670 mGy·cm for the cranial-encephalic stage, 603 ± 332 mGy·cm for the spine and 311 ± 395 mGy·cm for the thoracic stage. Conclusion: CT in children mainly explored the brain and concerned children under 5 years. Anatomical irradiation doses were higher than diagnostic reference levels in several countries. Optimization of scanning protocols and availability of MRI would reduce ionizing radiation in children.