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Mammography is a specific type of imaging that uses a low-dose X-ray system to examine breasts.
A mammography exam, called a mammogram, is used to aid in the diagnosis of breast diseases in women.
What is the procedure?
During mammography, a specially qualified technologist will position the breast in the mammography unit. The breast will be placed on a special platform and gently compressed with a paddle. The technologist will gradually compress the breast, evening out the breast thickness so that all of the tissue can be visualised and abnormalities detected.
How does it work?
An X-ray machine produces a small burst of radiation that passes through the body, recording an image on photographic film or a special image recording plate.
Different parts of the body absorb the X-rays in varying degrees.
Dense bone absorbs much of the radiation while soft tissue, such as muscle, fat and organs, allow more of the X-rays to pass through them. As a result, bones appear white on the X-ray, soft tissue shows up in shades of grey and air appears black. A radiologist specifically trained to supervise and interpret radiology examinations, will analyse the images.
