Stitching in CBCT can affect patient dose how?

• A. Decreases patient dose
• B. Dose varies unpredictably
• C. No change in dose
• D. Increases patient dose

Answer: (D)

Stitching CBCT images expands the region being imaged, so more anatomy is exposed to radiation. Each CBCT acquisition delivers a certain amount of dose, and to cover the larger area you typically perform additional scans or longer scans. The total radiation the patient receives is the sum of all those exposures, so stitching increases the overall dose rather than decreasing it or leaving it unchanged.