Mammography is a study of the mammary glands by exposing it to different types of rays. There are its following types: X-ray and ultrasound. Examination of the mammary glands is an important procedure for every woman, especially after 40 years, when the risk of developing malignant diseases of this body increases. Proper preparation for research is the key to obtaining the most informative results. Mammography after menstruation, during them or on the eve - when the result will be the most reliable?
study Mammogram duration
Mammography is often referred to as radiology, and ultrasound is isolated. In the article, everything described under the concept of "mammography" will be concerned precisely with radiographic research.
In many countries this type of breast examination is screening, that is mandatory for all women after a certain age at a given frequency - usually every two years after 40 years. But in most cases the mammogram is performed according to the indications.
X-ray examination is highly informative in detecting various neoplasms in the mammary glands, however, only in situations when almost the entire organ underwent involuntary changes, and most of the structures are replaced by connective tissue and fatty tissues. This applies to women after 40 years, after the onset of menopause. Before this age, it is not advisable to perform mammography, since the glandular lobules do not transmit X-rays, as a result, the resulting image is extremely uninformative. It is also important to know on what day after the months are doing mammography to young girls and those who have menstruation is not over.
Indications for the study:
- complaints of pathological formation in the mammary gland;
- detection of compaction at the doctor's office;
- allocation of a different nature from one or two nipples;
- resizing, the shape of one breast.
Necessary to perform the study in women after 40 years of age who have problems predisposing to breast disease. These include:
- benign tumors in the anamnesis or their presence at a given time;
- any surgical interventions on the gland in the past;
- mastitis in the anamnesis;
- infertility;
- overweight;
- endocrine diseases;
- tumors of the genital organs.
Procedure for the procedure
On how well the mammography is performed, the informativity and the percentage of detection of diseases depends. Also, a woman should clarify whether it is possible to do mammogram during the menstruation in this clinical case.
The study is carried out using a special apparatus - a mammogram. The mammary gland can be laid by an X-ray laboratory assistant, and only the physician interprets the results. The procedure for each breast is performed in turn.
As a rule, radiography is carried out in a standing or sitting position. The mammary gland is placed on a horizontal plate, the other is covered on top. At the same time, a small "crushing" of the breast is performed to increase the informative value of the study. This procedure makes the thickness of the studied material less, which makes it possible to diagnose even small tumors, removes the radiographic load. And that's why during a mammogram a woman can feel a slight soreness.
The study can be carried out in three projections: direct, oblique and lateral. The latter is used in special cases at the discretion of the doctor, for example, to clarify the location of the tumor, if there is an implant, etc.
Rules to be adhered to in order not to entail false positive results of the study:
- It is recommended to refrain from using antiperspirants, deodorants and other possible typescosmetics based on talc in the axillary region and near the breast. This can lead to the appearance of false shadows in the pictures, which will be interpreted as calcifications - one of the possible signs of malignant neoplasms of this organ.
- It is necessary to remove all ornaments to the waist.
- If a previous study was performed, it is recommended that the doctor show all previous shots. So he will be able to compare the indicators in the dynamics, as well as choose the areas most in need of diagnostics.
- In the case where some kind of education can be palpated in the mammary glands, the doctor should be informed about this so that he can more thoroughly study the altered zone.
Radiation dose in the
study. During the mammography, a woman receives a dose equal to the chest X-ray, ranging from 0.4 to about 8 mSv( this applies to the standard method in two projections).Despite this, you should know when you can do mammograms after menstruation. It is necessary to have time before the 12th - 14th day of the menstrual cycle to reduce the probability of pregnancy during the procedure to zero.
If the expanded mammography is performed in three projections, as well as the targeted mammography in the known localization of the proposed tumor, the dose of irradiation increases somewhat.
Widely used digital mammography provides less strain on the body compared with the film method.
In order to be able to judge the radiation load during radiographic examination of the mammary glands, you should know that every year a person receives a dose equal to 4 mSv, being in the usual conditions for him. A lethal amount of radiation for the human body - 150 mSv.
On which day of the cycle it is better to conduct the
study. On what day of the month mammography is done, the effectiveness of the method depends on the detection of focal formations.
The mammary gland is a hormone-dependent organ, whose structure, volume and density depend on the presence of estrogen in the body - female sex hormones.
But if you need to perform a study in a girl before the onset of menopause, you should know that mammography with menstruation, and also on the eve of them is not desirable. The ideal time for examination is 5 - 12 days of the menstrual cycle. It is explained by the following:
- On the eve of the critical days due to the sex hormone progesterone in the lobules of the breast and in the interstitial space, fluid accumulation takes place. This is expressed in an easy soreness and an increase in the size of the organ. Conducting a mammogram these days will be the least informative.
- During ovulation and during the period around it, the risk of conception is high and, as a consequence, the effect of irradiation on a fertilized egg. This can affect the further growth and development of the embryo.
- During menses, it is also undesirable to have a mammogram, since the mammary gland takes several days to fall asleep tissue swelling, and the glandular lobules acquire their usual structure.
We recommend reading the article about the breast during menstruation. From it you will learn about the causes of pain in the mammary gland during critical days, what to do to a woman with severe pain, prescription drugs and the effectiveness of phytotherapy. Mammography is an important and informative method for examining mammary glands, especially in women with the onset of menopause. The small radiation load, the simplicity of the technique of conducting made this method of examination popular and generally available. The implementation of simple recommendations for the preparation for mammography will help the doctor to carry out the study most comfortably and effectively for a woman.