TY - JOUR
T1 - Avoiding a Systematic Error in Assessing Fat Graft Survival in the Breast with Repeated Magnetic Resonance Imaging
AU - Glovinski, Peter Viktor
AU - Herly, Mikkel
AU - Müller, Felix C
AU - Elberg, Jens J
AU - Kølle, Stig-Frederik T
AU - Fischer-Nielsen, Anne
AU - Thomsen, Carsten
AU - Drzewiecki, Krzysztof T
PY - 2016/9
Y1 - 2016/9
N2 - Several techniques for measuring breast volume (BV) are based on examining the breast on magnetic resonance imaging. However, when techniques designed to measure total BV are used to quantify BV changes, for example, after fat grafting, a systematic error is introduced because BV changes lead to contour alterations of the breast. The volume of the altered breast includes not only the injected volume but also tissue previously surrounding the breast. Therefore, the quantitative difference in BV before and after augmentation will differ from the injected volume. Here, we present a new technique to measure BV changes that compensates for this systematic error by defining the boundaries of the breast to immovable osseous pointers. This approach avoids the misinterpretation of tissue included within the expanded boundaries as graft tissue. This new method of analysis may be a reliable tool for assessing BV changes to determine fat graft retention and may be useful for evaluating and comparing available surgical techniques for breast augmentation and reconstruction using fat grafting.
AB - Several techniques for measuring breast volume (BV) are based on examining the breast on magnetic resonance imaging. However, when techniques designed to measure total BV are used to quantify BV changes, for example, after fat grafting, a systematic error is introduced because BV changes lead to contour alterations of the breast. The volume of the altered breast includes not only the injected volume but also tissue previously surrounding the breast. Therefore, the quantitative difference in BV before and after augmentation will differ from the injected volume. Here, we present a new technique to measure BV changes that compensates for this systematic error by defining the boundaries of the breast to immovable osseous pointers. This approach avoids the misinterpretation of tissue included within the expanded boundaries as graft tissue. This new method of analysis may be a reliable tool for assessing BV changes to determine fat graft retention and may be useful for evaluating and comparing available surgical techniques for breast augmentation and reconstruction using fat grafting.
KW - Journal Article
U2 - 10.1097/GOX.0000000000001023
DO - 10.1097/GOX.0000000000001023
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 27757341
SN - 0032-1052
VL - 4
JO - Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
JF - Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
IS - 9
M1 - e1023
ER -