Routinely DICOM data monitoring for optimization of dose relevant parameters of mammographic examinations with ionizing radiation has been performed and the relation of compression force, compression thickness, tube voltage and mean glandular dose (organ dose) was investigated. When automatic exposure control (AEC) is used, the dose influencing parameters that can be adjusted by the operator are compression force and compressed breast thickness, other parameters like tube current, exposure time and tube voltage are controlled automatically by the mammographic.

In this study an automated data acquisition of regular mammographic examinations (cranio caudal, CC and medio-lateral oblique, MLO ) was performed. This was realized by a self-programmed software „SumDose“ which retrieves the mammographic dicom datasets from our PACS and extracts dicom header parameters for further analysis. Retrospective data were gained from January 2014 to April 2016, in total ~55.000 images. We investigated dicom header parameters gained from a Siemens Mammomat Inspiration (Erlangen, Germany) mammographic system. Data analysis focus was on the relation of compressed breast...

We conclude that a lower breast compression near the tube voltage step values result in an average organ dose reduction of 3.24% (absolute 48 µGy) in ~15.000 out of 55.000, equals to ~27% of all mammograms . The calculated, cumulated dose reduction can be estimated with 720 mGy. The observed dose reduction might be a specific characteristic of the Siemens Mammomat Inspiration Systems, due to its fixed anode / filter material combination of Tungsten and Rhodium – other manufacturers have more complex controlled organ doses...

Dr. Verius and Mag. Torbica are Medical Physicists and Radiation Protection Officers at the Radiology Department Innsbruck since 2000 and also responsible for constancy tests and quality assurance for radiological devices. Author contact: [email protected] Mag. Nagele is lecturer and researcher at the University of Applied Sciences. Dr. Daniaux is head of the mammography division and Prof. Dr. Jaschke head of the Radiology Department, Medical University Innsbruck. At the Radiology Department of the Medical University of Innsbruck a self-developed software (still in progress) is installed since...

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