Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026
Detection of Architectural Distortion in Prior Mammograms via Analysis of Oriented Patterns
Published on: August 30, 2013
Breast Arterial Calcifications on Mammography: A Review of the Literature
Joanna Rossi1, Leslie Cho2, Mary S Newell3
1Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Insights
Breast arterial calcification (BAC) found on mammograms is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Reporting BAC may help identify women at risk for CVD and enable earlier intervention.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Cardiology
- Preventative Medicine
Background:
- Breast arterial calcification (BAC) on mammography is increasingly recognized as a potential marker for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- Despite differing pathogenesis from other arterial calcifications, BAC's association with CVD risk warrants further investigation.
- Current guidelines and standardized methods for reporting and quantifying BAC are lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the association between BAC and CVD.
- To explore the potential role of reporting BAC in clinical practice for cardiovascular risk assessment.
- To discuss the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in identifying and quantifying BAC.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies evaluating BAC and CVD association.
- Discussion of preventative cardiology principles and clinical management strategies.
- Exploration of AI-driven approaches for BAC quantification and CVD risk prediction.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests BAC on mammography is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk in women.
- Reporting BAC could serve as an indicator of subclinical CVD in asymptomatic individuals.
- AI models show promise for automated BAC detection, quantification, and CVD risk stratification.
Conclusions:
- Reporting BAC on mammography may offer a valuable opportunity for early cardiovascular risk factor mitigation in women.
- Further research and standardization are needed to integrate BAC assessment into routine clinical practice.
- AI holds significant potential to enhance the utility of mammography for cardiovascular risk assessment.
Abstract:
Identifying systemic disease with medical imaging studies may improve population health outcomes. Although the pathogenesis of peripheral arterial calcification and coronary artery calcification differ, breast arterial calcification (BAC) on mammography is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), a leading cause of death in women. While professional society guidelines on the reporting or management of BAC have not yet been established, and assessment and quantification methods are not yet standardized, the value of reporting BAC is being considered internationally as a possible indicator of subclinical CVD. Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) models are being developed to identify and quantify BAC on mammography, as well as to predict the risk of CVD. This review outlines studies evaluating the association of BAC and CVD, introduces the role of preventative cardiology in clinical management, discusses reasons to consider reporting BAC, acknowledges current knowledge gaps and barriers to assessing and reporting calcifications, and provides examples of how AI can be utilized to measure BAC and contribute to cardiovascular risk assessment. Ultimately, reporting BAC on mammography might facilitate earlier mitigation of cardiovascular risk factors in asymptomatic women.
