INTRODUCTION 


  • A mammogram is a x ray exam of breast to detect and evaluate any changes in the breast.
  • X-ray was first used to examine the breast by German surgeon Albert Salmon.
  • Modern mammography came into existence since late 1960.
  • Modern machines are safe and uses the lowest possible dose.
  • If women has yearly mammogram staring from age 40 and continue until 90.She will get total 20-40 rads.
  • Benefits pleural effusion mammography outweigh any possible harm from the radiation.



 RADIATION DOSE 

  • Mean glandular radiation dose to the breast is approximately 2 mGy (0.2 rad) per exposure.
  • With present mammographic equipment, there is little or no radiation related risk to the  women over 40 years of age.

 Types of of Mammogram 

  1. Screening mammogram.
  2. Diagnostic mammogram.


  • American College of Radiology Recommendations for Imaging Screening for Breast Cancer

  • Women at average risk for breast cancer
       ∘Annual screening from age 40

  • Women at increased risk for breast cancer
  1. Women with certain BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations or who are untested but have first-degree relatives (mothers, sisters, or daughters) who are proved to have BRCA mutations
           ■Yearly starting by age 30 (but not before age 25)

        2. Women with ≥20% lifetime risk for breast cancer on the basis of family history (both maternal                 and paternal)  and Women with mothers or sisters with pre-menopausal breast cancer

            ■Yearly starting by age 30 (but not before age 25), or 10 years earlier than the age of diagnosis                  of  the youngest affected relative, whichever is later

          3. Women with histories of mantle radiation (usually for Hodgkin's disease) received between the                 ages of 10 and 30.

              ■Yearly starting 8 years after the radiation therapy, but not before age 25.

           4. Women with biopsy-proven lobular neoplasia (lobular carcinoma in situ and atypical lobular                     hyperplasia), atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), invasive                     breast cancer or ovarian cancer

    ■Yearly from time of diagnosis, regardless of age.



  • Age at Which Annual Screening With Mammography Should Stop.

            When life expectancy is <5 to 7 years on the basis of age or comorbid conditions

            •When abnormal results of screening would not be acted on because of age or comorbid conditions


 INDICATIONS 

  • Breast Cancer.
  • Breast Lump.
  • Nipple Discharge.
  • Focal Breast Pain.
  • Follow up for previously evaluated Mammographic findings.
  • BIRADS ( Breast Imaging Reporting and  Detection System).


 CONTRAINDICATIONS 

  • Size of cancer relative to Breast Size.
  • First or Second-trimester pregnancy.
  • Prior radiation therapy to chest/mediastinal.
  • Active Collagen Vascular disease.


 Mammography 

  • Principle: Breast is composed of fatty tissue, glandular tissue, and connective tissue.
  • Normal and cancerous tissues in the breast have small x-ray attenuation differences between them 
  • Need x-ray equipment specifically designed to optimize breast cancer detection.




 Modern Equipment 




 X-ray Tube Design 

v  Cathode and Filament Circuit

v  Low operating voltage

v  below 35 – 40 kVp

v  Typically 23 or 24 kVp at the lowest

v  dual filaments in a focusing cup

v  0.3 mm (contact) and 0.1 mm (magnification) focal spot sizes

v  small focal spot

v  minimizes geometric blurring

v  maintains spatial resolution

v  Typical tube currents are

v  100 mA (+/- 25 mA) for large (0.3 mm) focal spot

v  25 mA (+/- 10 mA) for small focal spot 

v  Anode

v  rotating anode design

v  Molybdenum (Mo), and dual track molybdenum/rhodium (Mo/Rh) targets are used

v  Characteristic x-ray production is the major reason for choosing molybdenum and rhodium

v  For molybdenum, characteristic radiation occurs at 17.5 and 19.6 keV

v  For rhodium, 20.2 and 22.7 keV




v  Heel effect - lower x-ray intensity on the anode side of the field (attenuation through the target)

v  Thus cathode-anode axis is placed from the chest wall (greater penetration of x-rays) to the nipple in breast imaging

v  A more uniform exposure is achieved

v  This orientation also minimizes equipment bulk near the patient’s head for easier positioning 



 MAMOGRAPHY POSITIONING 

  • Bring the breast back to its true anatomical position.
  • Use palpable and anatomical landmarks for positioning and clinical image evaluation.
  • It should be consistent and Reproducible with the goal of maintaining improving quality.
        
  • Normal or natural position of the breast is when the nipple is perpendicular to chest wall.
    





Anatomical landmarks that will be used for positioning and clinical image analysis are


  • Perimeter.
  • Pectoralis muscle.
  • Posterior nipple line (PNL).




Perimeter used for positioning and clinical image analysis





Pectoralis  used for positioning and clinical image analysis




  • PNL
Elevate the breast so that the PNL is close as possible to perpendicular plane to the chest wall.




PNL measurement of CC should be within 1cm of the PNL measurement on the MLO. according to American College of Radiologists, 2017.





The craniocaudal view 

•          It includes maximum amount of breast tissue in axial plane.

•          Visualization of medial breast tissue (Cleavage).

•          Visualization of pectoralis  muscle on approximately 30% of all CCs.





Standard method 

  • Stand on medial side of breast to be imaged.
  • Elevate the breast so that the PNL is perpendicular to chest wall.
  • Adjust the height of IR to elevated IMF( Inframammary fold ).
  • Pull the breasts with both hands.
  • Anchor the breast 
  • Lift the contralateral breast .
  • Guide patients  head forward.
  • Pull on lateral breast  tissue.

 method 

Elevate the breast so the PNL is perpendicular to the chest wall and pull the breast on with both hands.



CC View Method



Nipple Centered

  • Nipple should be centered on CC view, if possible ,and without sacrificing breast.
  • Nipple may not be centered due to prominent medial or lateral fullness of the breast. 


MEDIO LATERAL OBLIQUE

  • Inclusion of all the breast tissue within perimeter.
  • Pectoralis muscle fully visualized.
  • Tissue well separated.
  • Tissue  visualized back to retro-mammary fat space.
  • IMF.



EMO

POSITION:

•           C-arm of the unit is rotated to 45 angle, so that the cassette is parallel to pectoral muscle.

•          The film holder is kept high in axillary fossa.

•          Arm is abducted at elbow.





Recommended angulation for MLO


•          Keep the angulation consistent.

•          Steeper a angle for patient with longer thorax and small breasts.

•          Lesser angles for shorter thorax and larger breast. 









Some additional  View
  • XCCL –Exaggerated CC lateral.
  • CV –Cleavage. 
  • LM-90 degree latero-medial view. 
  • ML-90 degree mediolateral view.
  • TAN –Tangential.

XCCL



VC VIEW 

To visualize the medial breast in CC projection.



LM & ML Views

•          LM Shows medial breast in  better detail.

•          ML shows lateral breast in better detail.






Tangential View.

•          To prove the existence of dermal calcifications.

•          Enhanced visualization of palpable masses that may otherwise be superimposed on glandular breast tissue.



  • Draw and imaginary line between the breast  and mark
  • Position the breast so that lesion in tangent to the beam by angling the tube ,or breast.