Contralateral breast volume measurement during chest CT for postmastectomy breast reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE

Successful breast reconstruction after mastectomy may be guided by knowledge of the contralateral breast volume. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction based on a CT examination was used to determine the volume of the contralateral normal breast before postmastectomy breast reconstruction.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Seventeen female patients scheduled for postmastectomy breast reconstruction using silicon implant prostheses were using noncontrast CT scans of the chest for metastatic work-up. The CT scans were used to measure the volume of contralateral normal breast. The volume estimates were used to specify the proper implant size for cosmesis. The estimated CT volume was correlated with volume estimates obtained using water displacement, as well as anthropometric measurements performed by a plastic surgeon.

RESULTS

Breast volume estimates obtained from CT scans were highly correlated with volumes measured by the two nonradiological methods, yielding a positive linear correlation coefficient (r = 0.99).

CONCLUSION

Volume measurement of the intact breast should be added to reports of routine chest CT studies in patients who undergo mastectomy. CT imaging is a feasible method for contralateral normal breast volume measurement in these patients.