Pediatric nuclear medicine and radiation dose.

Nuclear medicine is a unique and valuable method that contributes to the diagnosis and assessment of many diseases in children. Radiation exposures in children undergoing diagnostic nuclear medicine studies are low. Although in the past there has been a rather large variation of pediatric radiopharmaceutical administered activities, adhering to recent standards for pediatric radiopharmaceutical administered doses can help assure that the lowest administered activity are employed and that the diagnostic value of the studies is preserved. Radiation exposures in children can be reduced further by optimizing routine protocols, application of advanced image processing and potentially with the use of advanced imaging systems.