Radiology, Vol 198, 347-350, Copyright © 1996 by Radiological Society of North America

ARTICLES

Composition of mammographic phantom materials

RA Geise and A Palchevsky
Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinics, Minneapolis 55455, USA.

PURPOSE: To determine the composition of a breast phantom that is most suitable for phototimer testing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Kilovolt peak and milliampere second values were analyzed for phototimed exposures of phantoms containing 0%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100% simulated glandular material at thicknesses of 2, 4, 6, and 8 cm. Data also were analyzed from 1,578 mammograms in 417 patients. The mean effective glandular content of phantoms that simulated patient breasts of varying thicknesses was determined. RESULTS: Examination of mammographic techniques showed that the effective glandular content that simulated the average patient breast was 34%. Effective glandular content was 16% in breasts at least 7 cm thick when compressed; 26%, more than 5 to up to 7 cm thick; 42%, more than 3 to up to 5 cm thick, and 68% in breasts at most 3 cm thick. CONCLUSION: A phantom composed of 30% glandular tissue and 70% adipose tissue allows closer simulation of the phototimer response of the mammographic x-ray unit for the average breast. The phantom currently used contains 16% more glandular tissue than the average breast.

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				REFERENCES J. ICRU, December 1, 2005; 5(2): 103 - 113. [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Jamal, K.-H. Ng, D. McLean, L.-M. Looi, and F. Moosa Mammographic Breast Glandularity in Malaysian Women: Data Derived from Radiography Am. J. Roentgenol., March 1, 2004; 182(3): 713 - 717. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]