Biomedical Letters

Multi-Modality Clinical Breast Imaging: A Concise Review and Future Advances

Atiya Allarakha, Pei-Jun Wang*

Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, P.R. China.

Abstract

Breast Imaging has, and still is, evolving with continuous research and with the advent of new promising imaging modalities. With breast carcinoma being one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide among women, much emphasis is being paid on more accurately diagnosing breast lesions, particularly at an earlier stage. Compared to earlier times, where conventional mammography was the sole imaging technique used, nowadays, the radiologist has a paraphernalia of imaging modalities to choose from, namely, conventional Digital Mammography (DM), Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT), Contrast-Enhanced Digital Mammography (CEDM), Ultrasound (US), and multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (mp-MRI). Breast Imaging modalities were previously used for screening, for diagnosing malignancies and for follow up, but currently, are also being used to do guided biopsies and to evaluate the patient post operatively for recurrence and both pre and post chemotherapy. Novel techniques like sodium MRI, Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent (BOLD) MRI to name but a few, have also come to light and hint at a promising future for breast lesion diagnosis via medical imaging. This article is a concise review of what imaging modalities are currently being used for the breast and in what context. A brief overview of the latest emerging imaging modalities is also discussed.

Keywords: Breast Imaging, Digital Mammography, Ultrasound, Multiparametric MRI, DCE-MRI.

Received July 02, 2017 Revised August 06, 2017 Accepted August 15, 2017

*Correspondence: Pei-Jun Wang Email: tongjipjwang@vip.sina.com Contact: +86139 0169 0566