The intensity of scattered radiation in mammography.

The ratio of scattered-to-primary radiation has been measured for a range of x-ray tube voltages, field sizes and phantom thicknesses that typify clinical mammographic situations. The relative intensity of scattered radiation measured was essentially independent of kVp but increased as the phantom thickness and radiation field size increased. For the range of field sizes and phantom thicknesses that typify clinical situations the intensity of scattered radiation varied from about 40 to 85% of the primary beam intensity indicating that only from about 54 to 71% of the primary beam contrast is imaged in mammography.