Background/Introduction
Breast irradiation during mammography is dependant upon good positioning art,
proper breast compression and appropriate exposure parameters,
which are determined by AEC (automatic exposure control) in most routine instances,
with restriction in sense that AEC decision is not ideal in all cases.
Description of activity and work performed
The retrospective study included 100 women submitted to mammography in our hospital,
randomly matched into two groups according to their age,
body mass index,
breast density category,
and compressed breast thickness: first group was filmed using AEC-device in function,
while the second group consisted of women filmed in the period od AEC malfunction,
in which the exposure parameters were determined manually by mammographer.
Manual exposure parameter control is nowadays mostly abandoned in mammography,
as the AEC unit is able to optimise film exposure relative to...
Conclusion and Recommendations
Although standard AEC ensures good workflow in high-volume facilities with acceptable image exposure quality,
manual exposure technique done by highly skilled and motivated mammographer could significantly reduce dose while preserving acceptable image quality,
based on experience of the mammographer to use personalized approach to modify imaging technique.
Personal/Organisational information
Gordana Ivanac;
[email protected]; University Hospital Dubrava,
Medical School,
University of Zagreb,
Zagreb/HR
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