[Differential diagnosis of benign and malignant mammary lesions with special regard to the BI-RADS((R)) classification system in mammography].

Mammography is the imaging method of choice for the diagnostic workup of breast tumors in screening programs as well as in symptomatic patients. Quality assurance is one of the main prerequisites for a successful performance in both fields. Quality assurance on the technical and film processing level can be easily achieved compared to reporting and outcome monitoring on the level of the physician performing mammography. This is especially due to the lack of standards of the written reports. This article reviews the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS((R))) developed and commercialized by the American College of Radiology, contains several examples of lesion classification and discusses the significance of the BI-RADS((R)) approach.