Recent developments in breast imaging

A review of breast imaging has already appeared in 1982 in this journal. Consequently, the present article concentrates on a discussion of only those developments of a more recent nature. Although the emphasis is placed on the physical aspects of the different imaging methods concerned, the essential factors relating to the clinical background and the associated radiation risk are also outlined. The completeness of detail depends on the present clinical importance of the method under discussion. X-ray mammography, which is still the most important breast imaging technique and has proved to be an effective method for breast cancer screening, is therefore treated in greater detail. Since the early 1980s, ultrasound B-mode scanning has evolved to an indispensable adjunct to x-ray mammography. For Doppler sonography, diaphanography, contrast-enhanced MRI, CT and DSA, the visualization of a tumour depends essentially on the enhanced vascularity of the lesion. Whether this will prove to be a reliable indicator for malignancy remains to be shown in controlled clinical studies. Common to all imaging systems is the increasing use of digital methods for signal processing, which also offers the possibility of computer-aided diagnosis by texture analysis and pattern recognition.