Radiologists use mammograms to screen for breast cancer.
"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.
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.
Tags: describe findings, scattered density, system developed
