8th Baltic Congress of Radiology

Breast Radiology

oral abstract

The aim of this project is to determine the criteria for a qualitative mammography examination and to correlate it with the patient's level of discomfort during the examination. The objectives are to perform the literature study, to create a questionnaire and a table of quality criteria for mammography screening images, to analyze results and make conclusions.

Prospective and retrospective research methods are used. Research was performed in one of the Latvian health care centers after obtaining the permission from ethics committee. Research tools: questionnaire, table of quality criteria. The research material: 50 questionnaires and 50 mammography screening images. The study was conducted in two parts, initially using a prospective research method. A questionnaire of 50 patients who underwent screening mammography was requested to be evaluated during the study level of discomfort, followed by imaging using a retrospective study method analysis of quality criteria for patients who have agreed to participate in the study. The correlation of the obtained data between the patient ‘s level of discomfort during the mammography examination and the obtained image quality criteria were analyzed.

By applying certain positioning recommendations, it is possible to achieve higher quality of the images, but the patient's ability to cooperate is an important role in positioning. One of the most important conditions for patient positioning is correct adjusted detector height, which can affect the quality of the acquired images and the patient's discomfort during mammography. In a data correlation, the conclusion was that the image quality criteria for m.pectoralis visualization in CC projection images is not correlated with the patient 's level of discomfort because its non-compliance is observed at all indicated levels of discomfort. Patients who rated the level of discomfort with 3 (1 means that the discomfort wasn’t felt during the examination, 10 means that the discomfort during the examination was very high) in mammograms were large skin folds and the omission of the inframammary angle in the MLO projection images, which are associated with non - smoothing of the skin folds and insufficient breast extraction and can already be correlated with the discomfort experienced by the patient during the examination. Insufficient inclusion of the lateral breast, observed in CC projection, was correlated with the discomfort level 4, also there wasn’t optimal visualization of m.pectoralis in MLO projection images which may be due to incorrect detector height adjustment and insufficient breast extraction, directly affecting the patient's discomfort.

This research shows that there is a correlation between the patient's level of discomfort during mammography and optimal performance image quality criteria. If mammography examination is done following to all projection criteria, the patient does not feel high level of discomfort.

This research is determined by the high incidence of breast cancer in the female population and the tendency to skip routine mammography, which provides early diagnosis of breast cancer, as the most common reason mentioned a painful examination, based on previous experience. This research shows if mammography examination is done following to all projection criteria, the patient does not feel high level of discomfort.

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