Computer-Aided Detection In Conjuction With Digitized Screen-Film Mammography Or Ful-Field Digital Mammography

Computer-aided detection (CAD) has been suggested as an adjunct to screening mammograms to decrease errors in perception, ie, failure to see an abnormality. The use of CAD systems requires a digital image, either generated by digitization of a prior screen-film mammogram (digitized mammogram), or generated directly (direct full-field digital mammogram). The effectiveness of CAD needs to be evaluated separately for these two types of digital images. Commercially available CAD systems use computerized algorithms for identifying suspicious regions of interest on the digital image. The locations of the abnormalities are marked such that the reader can then reference the same areas in the original mammogram for further review. The intent of CAD is to aid in detection of potential abnormalities for the radiologist to re-review. The radiologist, not CAD, makes the diagnosis if a clinically significant abnormality exists and whether future diagnostic evaluation is warranted. The distinction between digitized screen-film mammograms (SFM) and direct full-field digital mammograms (FFDM) is important. Since these two images are generated in different ways, the associated diagnostic performance of adjunctive CAD must be considered separately. Conceptually, the CAD systems used with digital mammography are very similar to those used with film mammography. The computer analyzes the digital images collected directly by the FFDM system, applies a set of algorithms that capture characteristics known to be associated potentially with malignancies, and produces an image with markings that show the site of suspicious findings. Sometimes, different marks are used for suspected masses and suspected microcalcifications. The major difference between CAD for FFDM and CAD for SFM is the extensive data set provided by the former and its interaction with the CAD algorithms. <a id="