Author(s)

Robin Fabian Gohmann¹, Frauke Heckner², Diane Uschner³, Christiane Katharina Kuhl¹, Sebastian Daniel Reinartz¹

¹Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
²University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
³Department of Medical Statistics, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.

Purpose: The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the diagnostic information contained in the CT scout view in the detection of body packing. Materials and methods: Retrospect analysis of 43 CT scans between July 2011 and June 2013 in asymptomatic suspects of body packing (29 men, 14 females, mean age 38 ± 9 years). Results: A total of 11 positive cases of body packing were identified. In 10 (91%) of the cases packets were relatively large and spares in number (3 or less); in 7 (64%) a single packet has been identified. 6 (55%) of the packets were located rectally, 4 (36%) vaginally and in 1 (9%) case multiple small packets of approximately 1 cm in size were found to have been ingested orally. Maximum and minimum diameters were 5.9 ± 3 cm and 2.9 ± 1.4 cm, respectively. The mean weight of packets was 7.5 ± 4.2 g (range 2 - 54 g). In 73% (n = 8) heroin had been detected; other drugs such as cocaine (n = 1) and cannabis (n = 1) were encountered once, respectively. One packet was identified retrospectively and its content could therefore not be identified. The average effective dose was 3.8 ± 2.1 mSv for CT, of that 0.12 ± 0.01 mSv was required for the CT scout view. Conclusion: If CT scout view were treated as a diagnostic image, some CT scans may be omitted, thereby maintaining streamlined operations and achieving further dose reduction jointly in the workup of body packing.

Body Packing, CT Scout View, CT, Dose Reduction, X-Ray

Gohmann, R. , Heckner, F. , Uschner, D. , Katharina Kuhl, C. and Daniel Reinartz, S. (2017) Body Pushers: Low-Dose CT, Always the Best Choice? A Study of the Diagnostic Performance of CT Scout View. Open Journal of Radiology, 7, 112-120. doi: 10.4236/ojrad.2017.72013.