Digital Breast Tomosynthesis: Concepts and Clinical Practice
Alice Chong , Susan P. Weinstein, Elizabeth S. McDonald, Emily F. Conant
Author Affiliations
From the Department of Radiology, Division of Breast Imaging, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19104. From the 2016 RSNA Annual Meeting.
Address correspondence to A.C. (e-mail: alicechongmd@gmail.com).
Published Online:May 14 2019https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2019180760
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Abstract
This article highlights the current concepts of digital breast tomosynthesis imaging, including synthetic mammography, that are relevant to contemporary breast imaging; the quasi three-dimensional information and the improved lesion conspicuity gained with tomosynthesis are associated with improvements in patient outcomes and efficiency in mammographic imaging.

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is emerging as the standard of care for breast imaging based on improvements in both screening and diagnostic imaging outcomes. The additional information obtained from the tomosynthesis acquisition decreases the confounding effect of overlapping tissue, allowing for improved lesion detection, characterization, and localization. In addition, the quasi three-dimensional information obtained from the reconstructed DBT data set allows a more efficient imaging work-up than imaging with two-dimensional full-field digital mammography alone. Herein, the authors review the benefits of DBT imaging in screening and diagnostic breast imaging.

© RSNA, 2019