Affiliations: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Gelderse Vallei, Bennekom, Netherlands | Interfaculty Reactor Institute, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands | Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands | Department of Internal Medicine, Eemland Hospital, Amersfoort, Netherlands
Note: [] Correspondence to: R.A. de Vries, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Hospital Gelderse Vallei, Edeseweg 118, 6721 KC Bennekom, Netherlands.
Abstract: Nuclear medicine offers many diagnostic possibilities for which there are no adequate alternatives. The growing contribution of nuclear procedures to diagnostic medicine, however, has an additional effect: the radiation on normal tissues. Accurate estimations of the radiation dose and the related risks is required to weigh the advantages against the disadvantages due to a certain nuclear procedure in a specific situation. In this review the aspects of dose calculation (dosimetry) and dose-effect relation are discussed. Also the current opinion about dose limits will be dealt with. Particularly specialists for internal diseases should be aware of these considerations.
