Ellen Shaw de Paredes

Institute for Women's Imaging

Physicians Services

DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY WITH CAD

One of the recent advances in the field of mammography that will have the largest impact on patient care is the development of digital mammography. The technology allows us to obtain high resolution digital images as rapidly as we obtain analog mammograms. The digital acquisition allows the technologist to immediately review the images for quality, and the technique allows for fewer repeats. The radiation dose to the patient is usually less with digital mammography in comparison with film screen mammography. We are utilizing a Siemens Novation Unit that offers very high resolution images and a larger detector than most units, which allows for imaging breasts of varying sizes. Images may be sent to other sites in order to facilitate patient care. Also, by using the digital format, we are able to utilize computer assisted detection, or CAD. CAD examines each mammogram for suspicious calcifications and masses, adding another interpretive component to each study.