Aims and objectives
In mammography,
compression is given to the breast to reduce breast thickness,
tissue superposition and X-ray scattering to get a good image quality.
The force-standardized compression mammography (FSCM) is the standard for population-based mammography screening and diagnostic imaging.
Unfortunately,
there are no general accepted guidelines for compression force to obtain good image quality.It has been reported that a lot ofvariation existsbetweentechnicians and hospitals.
There is a difference in the given compression force in patients with small and large breast but there is also a difference...
Methods and materials
A retrospective studyof mammogramswas executed in 100 participantsof the Belgian population-based screening (50-69 years old).
The mammographic screening examinations of 2016 used a conventional compression paddle on the mammography system (FSCM).
In 2018,
we introduced a newly developed compression paddle with a real-time pressure indicator (PSCM).
We compared the DICOM data per patient before (2016) and after (2018) the introduction of a pressure-standardized compression mammography (PSCM).
We retrospective obtained compression force,
breast contact area,
mean compression pressure (force divided by contact area) and mean glandular...
Results
A total of 400 prior and 400 current mammographic images of 100 women were analyzed.
- 17 participants were excluded due to different exposure control modes for prior and current mammograms.
- Mammograms of 83 participants (332 FSCM and 332 PSCM images) were included for further analysis.
- Mean compression pressure increased from 11.56±6.4kPa to 12.78±3.4kPa (p<0.0001) after the introduction of the PSCM.
Fig. 2
- The percentage of mammograms in the target pressure range of 8-14kP (target LED+-1 LED) increased from 45.8% to 57.5%...
Conclusion
Our study showed that when using PSCM (compared with FSCM),
the compression reproducibility within and between technicians improved with less variation.
Moreover,
a reduction of under- and over-compression was seen,
with an increased number of mammograms in the target pressure range of 8-14kPa.
By using a paddle with a real-time pressure indicator in PSCM,
the discomfort reduced,
due to a better alignment between technician and participant and closer participant involvement.
References
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A novel approach to mammographic breast compression: Improved standardization and reduced discomfort by controlling pressure...