Breast imaging (if performed) is recommended as follows by age: under 30 and over 30?

Breast imaging (if performed) is recommended as follows by age: under 30 and over 30?

• A. Ultrasound only under age 30
• B. Over age 30 mammogram only
• C. Mammogram +/- ultrasound over age 30
• D. Ultrasound under age 30; over age 30 do mammogram only

Answer: (C)

Imaging choices hinge on breast tissue density and what each modality detects best. In younger patients, breasts are often dense, which reduces the sensitivity of mammography, so ultrasound is the preferred tool to evaluate a problem or lesion. In patients over 30, breasts tend to have more fatty tissue, making mammography more effective for detecting cancers and calcifications; ultrasound can still be used as an adjunct to further characterize a finding or if the breast is particularly dense. Therefore, when imaging is performed, the typical approach is to use a mammogram (with ultrasound added as needed) for those over 30. This is why the best answer is that imaging over age 30 is mammogram with possible ultrasound. Under age 30, ultrasound alone is usually used.

Imaging choices hinge on breast tissue density and what each modality detects best. In younger patients, breasts are often dense, which reduces the sensitivity of mammography, so ultrasound is the preferred tool to evaluate a problem or lesion. In patients over 30, breasts tend to have more fatty tissue, making mammography more effective for detecting cancers and calcifications; ultrasound can still be used as an adjunct to further characterize a finding or if the breast is particularly dense. Therefore, when imaging is performed, the typical approach is to use a mammogram (with ultrasound added as needed) for those over 30. This is why the best answer is that imaging over age 30 is mammogram with possible ultrasound. Under age 30, ultrasound alone is usually used.