Articles
Articles are a collaborative effort to provide a single canonical page on all topics relevant to the practice of radiology. As such, articles are written and continuously improved upon by countless contributing members. Our dedicated editors oversee each edit for accuracy and style. Find out more about articles.
359 results found
Article
Breast architectural distortion
Breast architectural distortion is a descriptive term in breast imaging (mammography, ultrasound, and MRI) to indicate that the breast parenchyma is tethered or indented. The finding per se is not a mass.
Pathology
Architectural distortion is often due to a desmoplastic reaction in which there...
Article
Breast MRI enhancement curves
Following administration of gadolinium, there can be three possible enhancement (time intensity) kinetic curves for a lesion on breast MRI (these are also applied in other organs such as prostate MRI). These are sometimes termed the Kuhl enhancement curves.
type I curve: progressive or per...
Article
Kaiser score: breast MRI classification flowchart
The Kaiser score is an evidence-based clinical decision rule to distinguish benign from malignant lesions in breast MRI. It incorporates five BI-RADS descriptors:
spiculations
suspicious protrusion from the lesion surface that has concave lateral aspects
this includes classical spicu...
Article
Automated full-field volumetric ultrasound
An automatic full-field volumetric breast ultrasound scanner (AFFBUS) is a developing technology which was initiated to overcome the drawback of dense breast and to get a three-dimensional view of the breast.
Components
scan station
view station
Scan station
Automatic ultrasound ima...
Article
Ultrasound evaluation of breast cysts
Ultrasound evaluation of breast cysts is the modality of choice. Obstruction of the ducts, often appearing as the result of epithelial hyperplastic processes or stromal fibrosis, or both processes lead to the formation of cysts, disabling the drainage of the terminal ducts of the lobules.
In al...
Article
Non-mass finding (breast ultrasound)
A non-mass finding on breast ultrasound refers to a discrete region of altered breast parenchymal echotexture that does make a mass shape (i.e. non-identifiable in two planes). "Non-mass finding" is not a current BI-RADS descriptor.
Terminology
Non-mass findings are described in numerous ways...
Article
Breast echotexture
Breast echotexture refers to the background tissue appearance on breast sonography, analogous to breast density/amount of fibroglandular tissue on mammography and MRI. There are three categories of tissue composition according to the BI-RADS lexicon 1:
homogeneous background echotexture – fa...
Article
Breast ultrasound
Breast ultrasound is an important modality in breast imaging. It is the usual initial breast imaging modality in those under 30 years of age in many countries ref.
In assessing for malignancy, it is important to remember that one must use the most suspicious feature of three modalities (patholo...
Article
20° oblique projection
20° oblique projection is a troubleshooting projection used in mammography, especially in young women and in follow-up patients.
Technique
The C-arm is turned approximately 20° for a superomedial-inferolateral oblique. With the patient's feet pointing towards the unit and her torso turned slig...
Article
Caudal cranial projection
Caudal cranial projection is an additional trouble shooting view.
Technique
invert the C arm as for a CC projection
step the patient forward and have her bend excessively forward at the waist to ensure that the abdomen does not encroach in the x ray field
place the image receptor abov...
Article
Forbidden areas in mammography
In breast imaging, forbidden, check or review areas are zones that, according to Tabár, require special attention in mammographic interpretation. These are:
on a mediolateral oblique (MLO) view
the "Milky Way" (retromammary fat): a 3-4 cm wide band parallel to the edge of the pectoral mus...
Article
Screening for breast cancer
Screening for breast cancer includes activities which test members of asymptomatic populations for breast cancer. Many advanced countries have breast screening programs. The most widely adopted method for breast cancer screening is mammography.
There are few areas in imaging fraught with more c...
Article
Elevated craniocaudal projection
Elevated craniocaudal projection is an additional trouble shooting view.
Technique
direct beam superiorly to inferiroly
face patient towards unit, feet forward
lean patient inward, relaxing the shoulders
bring inferior aspect of breast onto the image receptor
pull breast outward...
Article
Rolled CC view
Given that the rolled projections can be performed from any standard projection, the most commonly used is certainly the cranio-caudal one.
A rolled CC view It's performed to locate a lesion only visible in the cranio-caudal view, or when overlapped tissues in the standard view can simulate or...
Article
Bullseye view
The bullseye view is designed for better evaluation of lesion located in retroareolar area. In this view, the nipple-areola complex are directed upward or downward on the detector surface to visualize the areolar and periareolar region en face, allowing characterization of lesions in this area.
Article
Tangential views
Tangential views are useful to differentiate intracutaneous radiopaque particles in a tattoo from intraparenchymal microcalcifications.
Mammographic findings close to the skin such as masses, microcalcifications, skin dimpling or shaded areas always pose a problem of differential diagnosis.
Va...
Article
Spot view (mammography)
A spot view (also known as a spot compression view or focal compression view) is an additional mammographic view performed by applying the compression to a smaller area of tissue using a small compression paddle, increasing the effective pressure on that spot. This results in better tissue separ...
Article
Lateral view
The lateral view is an additional view obtained at virtually every diagnostic evaluation. A lateral view may be obtained as a mediolateral view (ML) or lateromedial view (LM) view depending on where the imaging tube and detector are located.
Technique
for an ML view, the tube emitting the x...
Article
Mediolateral oblique view
The mediolateral oblique (MLO) view is one of the two standard mammographic views, alongside the craniocaudal (CC) view.
It is the most important projection as it allows depiction of most breast tissue.
Adequacy
The representation of the pectoral muscle on the MLO view is a key component in...
Article
Mammography views
There are numerous mammography views that can broadly be split into two groups
standard views
supplementary views - additional information or problem solving
Standard views
Standard views are bilateral craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) views, which comprise routine scr...
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