An Effective Way to Solve Equivocal Mammography Findings: The Rolled Views.

SUMMARY:
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the rolled views taken in craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) projections in solving equivocal mammography findings. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The rolled views were taken by changing the positioning of the breast but not the obliquity of the X-ray beams. The breast was rolled medially or laterally in the rolled CC view, and inferiorly or superiorly in the rolled MLO view to separate overlapping structures from each other.
RESULTS: We evaluated equivocal findings in 87 asymptomatic women undergoing either CC (n = 48, 55%) or MLO (n = 39, 45%) rolled views between 2001 and 2008. The rolled views were helpful in solving equivocal mammographic findings and making proper decisions on management in 85 of the 87 (97.7%) women. This technique was used for breast asymmetries in 55 of the 87 (63.2%) women, and was sufficient to directly show summation artifacts in 59 of 79 (74.6%) women. The rolled views revealed 4 intramammary lymph nodes, 2 circumscribed masses out of 6 obscured masses, 7 summation artifacts, and 2 circumscribed masses out of 9 questionable masses.
CONCLUSIONS: The rolled view is an effective method of differentiating summation artifacts from real lesions on mammography in both the CC and the MLO view.