Can CT also be used for breast tissue examination?

CT is computed tomography. It was used for breast examination in the late 1970s.

Compared with ordinary mammography X-rays, CT has higher density resolution, can obtain cross-sectional images of the scanned area, clearly displays the anatomical structure of each layer of the breast, and can detect intra-breast cysts, hemorrhage and The display rate of calcifications is high, especially for dense breasts. CT examination can provide more information than ordinary mammography. There are reports that CT is superior to X-ray photography in detecting tiny lesions and can detect lesions as small as 0.2cm. However, some people believe that the spatial resolution of CT is inferior to that of ordinary X-ray photography.

The CT manifestations of common breast diseases are: inflammatory lesions are often mildly consistent and have increased density without obvious edges; benign masses are often round or oval masses with uniform density and smooth or smooth edges. There are lobes. The CT value of fibroadenomas is close to the chest muscles, while the CT value of cysts is liquid. Malignant tumors are often irregular and high-density masses. The density may be uneven, and the surrounding burrs are clearly displayed. The display rate of small calcifications in the breast is very high.

In addition, CT scan is more valuable for diagnosis when used to examine the following conditions, such as tumor lesions in dense glands, lesions at the breast root, and the presence or absence of internal breasts, armpits, and mediastinum. Lymph node metastasis, etc. Breast cancer lesions are enhanced after contrast agent injection, but the degree of enhancement varies with the type of lesion. Therefore, CT scan is not necessarily the best way to identify benign and malignant breast lesions.

Because CT examination is more expensive, requires intravenous injection of contrast agent, and the radiation dose is much higher than that of ordinary mammography, it is generally not used as a routine examination method for breast lesions. Complementary to other methods. In some special circumstances, such as observing whether there are intrapulmonary metastases in breast cancer, it has a high diagnostic value.