Dispersion In Patient Physical Characteristics And The Concept Of The Average Patient: Implications For Dose Minimization In Mammography

E. P. Muntz; H. Bernsteir

doi:10.1117/12.957137

6 July 1979 Dispersion In Patient Physical Characteristics And The Concept Of The Average Patient: Implications For Dose Minimization In Mammography

E. P. Muntz, H. Bernsteir

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 0173, Application of Optical Instrumentation in Medicine VII; (1979) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.957137
Event: Application of Optical Instrumentation in Medicine VII, 1979, Toronto, Canada

Abstract

Of the many factors which affect the quality of a mammogram, one of the most important is the radioluscency of the patient. It is well known that there is a significant variation in the patient population, yet the analysis and optimization of mammography imaging systems (and others) generally is based on the concept of an average patient. With the concern over dose in mammography and the resulting quest for the lowest doses consistent with acceptable diagnostic quality, it is of interest to investigate the implications of patient variability for the optimization of reduced dose mammography. In this paper we report on the use of the model of a mammography examination developed by Muntz to investigate the questions associated with a patient population having dispersed physical characteristics. Data on compressed breast thickness for a series of 120 patients receiving mammograms at LAC-USC Medical Center was used for information about the dispersion in patient characteristics. It is concluded that significant changes in mammography risk factor can be associated with patient variability. The risk factor variations are so large that the concept of the average patient needs to be re-thought for the case of reduced dose mammography.

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E. P. Muntz and H. Bernsteir "Dispersion In Patient Physical Characteristics And The Concept Of The Average Patient: Implications For Dose Minimization In Mammography", Proc. SPIE 0173, Application of Optical Instrumentation in Medicine VII, (6 July 1979); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.957137

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