title: Development of an adjustable model breast for mammographic dosimetry assessment in Taiwanese women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The currently used model breast for mammographic dosimetry assessment lacks the flexibility to change dimensions. The aim of this study was to develop an adjustable model breast for mammographic dosimetry assessment of Taiwanese women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of 4226 craniocaudal (CC) views was conducted. The geometry of the model breast was defined as a semielliptical cylinder. Breast parameters, including compressed breast thickness, chest wall-to-nipple distance, compressed breast width, and percentage glandular content, were measured and analyzed. To validate the adjustable model breast, 44 mammograms were obtained. The expected values from the adjustable model breast were compared with the measured values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average values of compressed breast thickness, chest wall-to-nipple distance, compressed breast width, and percentage glandular content of the women studied were 4.1 cm, 6.9 cm, 16.9 cm, and 54%, respectively. Variations of chest wall-to-nipple distance, compressed breast width, and percentage glandular content can be expressed as functions of compressed breast thickness, and the adjustable model breast developed was based on compressed breast thickness. The average area of the CC view obtained is a factor of 0.81 lower than that defined by the American College of Radiology protocol. For validation, the difference in average values between the expected and measured did not exceed 0.5 cm in breast dimensions and 6% in percentage glandular content.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compressed breast thickness is useful for quantifying dimensions and percentage glandular content of a model breast. The adjustable model breast developed in this study can offer greater flexibility in the determination of breast dimensions for mammographic dosimetry assessment of Taiwanese women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Rd, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shang-Lung
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Tieh-Chi
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Gong-Yau
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Yung-Chien
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yu-Hsiu
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Keh-Shih
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Chuang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002138:Calibration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011874:Radiometry; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan