Effect of age, breast size, menopausal and hormonal status on mammographic skin thickness.
OBJECTIVE
The localized or generalized skin thickness detected on mammography may reflect an underlying pathology of breast or a systemic disease involving the skin. The aim of this report is to describe the range of normal breast skin thickness in women using a film-screen mammographic technique.


METHODS
Measurement of the mammographic skin thickness over different parts of the breast was performed in 144 women who had normal findings in a combined mammographic and ultrasonographic examination. Patients were grouped as premenopause, postmenopause and surgical menopause who were under continuous oestrogen treatment. The skin thickness in four regions (superior, inferior, medial, lateral) of both breasts was compared, and their relations with age, breast size, menopausal and hormonal status were investigated. The interobserver reliability was tested in a small subgroup of patients.


RESULTS
Interobserver agreement was good for all measurements. The range of normal breast skin thickness was between 0.50 and 3.10 mm. There were no differences in skin thickness between the corresponding regions of the breasts, with significant differences between the regions in the same breast. While breast size increased with age, skin thickness decreased in all regions.


CONCLUSIONS
The breast size, age, regional variations and hormonal status of the patients should be considered when defining the normal range of skin thickness in mammographic examinations. We assume that upper limit of mammographic skin thickness should be set as 3.0 mm, regardless of the focal spot size and film-focus distance.
Ulger
Harun
H
Departments of Anatomy and Radiology, Gevher Nesibe Hospital, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri, Turkey. ulger@erciyes.edu.tr
Erdogan
Nuri
N
Kumanlioglu
Sadan
S
Unur
Erdogan
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001940:Breast / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D009929:Organ Size; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D012016:Reference Values; D012867:Skin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D006728:Hormones