Digital mammography: a review of technical development and clinical applications.
For detecting and diagnosing breast cancer at its earliest stage, mammography is the most sensitive technique currently available and is therefore the method of choice. Screen-film mammography has been used successfully as a screening test for breast cancer for > 2 decades. However, conventional mammography has substantial limitations and, therefore, digital mammography systems have been developed to improve image quality and overcome the limitations of screen-film technique limitations. Herein we discuss the differences between screen-film and digital mammography systems and the processes related to digital mammography that differ from conventional mammography, including detector technology, digital image formation, image processing, image display, and image archival. Finally, we review the results from currently available clinical trials regarding the performance of digital mammography and discuss clinical implications such as cost-effectiveness.
Shah
Amisha J
AJ
Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Carver School of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Wang
Jane
J
Yamada
Takayuki
T
Fajardo
Laurie L
LL
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D015203:Reproducibility of Results