What Is a Scattered Density on a Mammogram?
"Scattered density" is a term used to describe findings on a mammogram. It is one of several terms that can be used in a standardized way so physicians understand exactly what a radiologist means when he reads a mammography report.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
The BI-RADS system was developed so there would be a standard way to describe findings on mammography. The system was developed by the American College of Radiology with cooperation from other governmental and private groups in the radiology field.
Categories
-
When a radiologist reads a mammogram, she categorizes the density of the breast in the mammogram according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) classification. The four classifications are: fatty, scattered density, heterogeneously dense, and extremely dense.
-
Definition
-
If breasts are described as having scattered densities, this means there are parts of the breasts that are more dense than others.
Consequences
-
Scattered densities can sometimes hide a lesion in the breast on mammography. This is the appropriate description of a breast that is 25 to 50 percent glandular.
Frequency
-
The December 2006 issue of "Cancer Causes & Control" cited a study that said of all four breast types, those with scattered density were the most common. Forty-five percent of the women tested had scattered density reported on their mammograms.
-
References
- American College of Radiology
- "Cancer Causes & Control;" Breast Cancer Risk Factors in Relation to Breast Density; Linda Titus-Ernstoff, Anna N. A. Tosteson, Claudia Kasales, Julia Weiss, Martha Goodrich, Elizabeth E. Hatch, and Patricia A. Carney; December 2006
- "Academic Radiology;" Accuracy of Assigned BI-RADS Breast Density Category Definitions; Brandi T. Nicholsona, Alexander P. LoRussoa, Mark Smolkinb, Viktor E. Bovbjergb, Gina R. Petronib, Jennifer A. Harveya; April 2006
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Dplanet::
