Accurate assessment of breast volume by computed tomography using three-dimensional imaging device

Preoperative assessment of breast volume could contribute significantly to the planning of breast reconstructive surgery. However, breast volume measurements are not carried out on a routine basis, because there is still no commonly accepted standard method for such measurements. In the current study, we assessed whether routine computed tomography (CT) of the chest using a three-dimensional device could provide accurate estimation of breast volumes in patients with breast cancer. Ten consecutive patients and 11 breasts with breast cancer that underwent mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction were enrolled in this study. In each case, a three-dimensional image was constructed according to the CT data using a volume-rendering technique. Computed breast volumes were compared with known breast volumes obtained from surgical specimens. The mean breast volume of surgical specimens was 324.1 ± 173.5 mL. The mean breast volume value was established to be 351.6 ± 174.3 mL with three-dimensional CT in a novel method. There was a strong linear association between breast volumes of surgical specimens and breast volumes measured by the three-dimensional CT method when using a Pearson correlation (r = 0.985, P < 0.001). Our results suggest that the calculation of breast volume using three-dimensional CT is accurate enough to have a significant clinical benefit in planning reconstructive breast surgery. This method can help the surgeon predict the esthetic effect of various breast surgeries and guide the choice of the most appropriate implant preoperatively.