A new practical model of testes shield: the effectiveness during abdominopelvic computed tomography

The goal of our prospective study was to measure the effect of a new standard model male gonad shield on the testicular radiation exposure during routine abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT). Two hundred male patients who underwent upper abdominal and pelvic CT examinations were included in our study. To prepare the testes shield (TS), 2 No. 8 fluoroscopy radiation-protection gloves made of bismuth (0.35 mm lead equivalent) were used. These gloves were invaginated into one another and their fingers were turned inside out. Scrotums of all patients were pushed into these lead-containing gloves. Upper abdominal CT (n = 6), pelvic CT (n = 9), and abdominopelvic scanning (n = 185) were performed. Immediately after the CT examinations and at postprocedural day 1, the scrotal examinations were repeated. None of the patients exhibited scrotal laceration, edema, eruption, erythema, tenderness, or pain. During the CT examinations, 22 patients (11%) felt unrest because of their exposed genital regions, without any adverse effect on the procedure. Dosimetric measurements of radioactivity inside the TS (dosimeter I) and outside it (dosimeter II) were 6.8 and 69.00 mSv, respectively. Accordingly, the TS we used in our study reduced the radiation exposure of the testes by 90.2% (10.1 times). We think that the use of this radioprotective TS during radiological diagnostic and therapeutic procedures is an appropriate approach from both a medical and legal perspective. Therefore, we recommend this userfriendly, practical, low-cost, and effective TS for all radiologic procedures.