ABSTRACT
The use of ionizing radiation in medical diagnosis and therapy has revolutionized and dramatically improved the diagnosis and treatment of human disease. At the same time, and especially in recent years, concern over the radiogenic risks associated with medical imaging has intensified dramatically in parallel with the increased use of diagnostic imaging procedures. This volume is intended to provide a comprehensive review and analysis of the dosimetry and risks of essentially all current radiation-based diagnostic imaging procedures. Points of emphasis will include the optimization of these procedures in terms of minimizing patient dose without compromising the specific diagnostic information being sought, special considerations for diagnostic imaging of the pregnant patient, and quantification of benefit as well as risk of imaging procedures. The current chapter provides a brief review of the technology and radiation biology of diagnostic medical imaging.
