Breast compression in mammography: pressure distribution patterns

Abstract

The distribution of pressure differed greatly between breasts. In a large proportion of breasts the compression plate did not provide optimal compression of the breast, the compression force being absorbed in juxtathoracic structures.

Compression forces used in the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program

“…There are several factors that might affect the applied compression force in mammography; the female, [18][19][20] the equipment 21,22 and the radiographer. [8][9][10][11]22,23 Factors related to the screened female include differences in breast volume, 18 breast stiffness and compressibility 19,20 and acceptance of pain.…”

“…[8][9][10][11]22,23 Factors related to the screened female include differences in breast volume, 18 breast stiffness and compressibility 19,20 and acceptance of pain. Characteristics of the breast compression paddle, 24 positioning of the compression paddle, 22,23 positioning of the detector plate 21 and use of automated compression force methods 22 are factors related to the equipment. The positioning of the breast compression paddle and detector plate will affect how the pressure from breast compression is distributed across the breast.…”

“…The positioning of the breast compression paddle and detector plate will affect how the pressure from breast compression is distributed across the breast. [21][22][23] Studies have indicated that pressure is often concentrated to the firmer juxtathoracic structures of the breast, rather than on the breast itself. 22,23 Whether the breast compression paddle is rigid or flexible might also affect the distribution of pressure in the breast.…”

What is the minimum amount of simulated breast movement required for visual detection of blurring? An exploratory investigation

“…3,4 Studies have shown that using too little compression can result in blurring; also, one study has demonstrated that compression force is not evenly distributed across the breast, and for the mediolateral oblique view, a lot of compression is lost in the pectoral muscle leading to undercompression in the rest of the breast. 4 Human perception of blurring could be affected by the distribution of contrast across different spatial frequencies. For instance, if the high spatial frequencies are filtered by a low-pass spatial filter, the image will appear blurred, while the image will appear sharp if low spatial frequencies are filtered by a high-pass spatial filter.…”

Technical Note: Validation of two methods to determine contact area between breast and compression paddle in mammography

“…Recent publications point out that controlling pressure can be beneficial in terms of reproducibility, pain, radiation dose, image quality, and detectability of breast cancer. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] For many years, breast compression has been susceptible to subjectivity and thus large variations in the applied pressure. With mammography systems indicating only the force applied by the paddle, but not the area over which the force is distributed, 14 the exerted pressure (force divided by area) could only be estimated based on subjective cues, such as skin tautness or the patient's perceived pain experience.…”