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Description
Purpose: To evaluate the impact of different breast implant brands and their volumetric proportions on mean glandular dose (AGD) and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) in digital mammography.
Methods: Three types of implants—Motiva Ergonomix®, MENTOR™ MemoryGel™, and Natrelle® Silicone-Filled Implants—were involved in the study. Implants were placed with CIRS BR3D phantoms to simulate compression thicknesses of 3 cm to 5 cm. Images were acquired with both Automatic Exposure Control (AEC) and manual techniques (W/Rh filter) using a Hologic 3Dimensions system. Entrance skin dose (ESD) and AGD were recorded, while SNR was measured for different implant brands and volumetric percentages within the breast.
Results: Using AEC at 3-cm and 4-cm thicknesses, Natrelle® implants resulted in the highest AGD (4.6 mGy and 4.9 mGy, respectively), while Motiva Ergonomix® recorded the lowest (3.9 mGy and 4.2 mGy, respectively) at identical kVp levels. As the volumetric percentage of Motiva Ergonomix® increased, beam hardening was required to maintain image quality (30 kVp and 35 kVp for 20% and 40% volume, respectively). Under standardized manual techniques, Motiva Ergonomix® consistently yielded the highest SNR (30.5 and 27.0 at 3-cm and 4-cm thickness, respectively), followed by MENTOR™ (29.3 and 26.8) and Natrelle® (26.4 and 24.1). Furthermore, as the volumetric proportion of Motiva Ergonomix® increased, the SNR significantly decreased from 21.6 at 20% volume to 14.9 at 40% volume.
Conclusion: Both the material composition and the volumetric percentage of breast implants could influence mammographic dose and image quality, with Motiva Ergonomix® demonstrating superior imaging efficiency over the other tested brands.