Imaging and diagnostic services play an important role in maintaining your breast health. Detailed images provides our physicians with the information they need to help determine if there are concerns that need additional testing. Our diagnostic tools then empower us to explore those symptoms and concerns to create a customized care plan, if needed.
Both Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital and St. Mary Medical Center are accredited by the NAPBC. St. Mary Medical Center is an American College of Radiology (ACR) accredited Breast Imaging Center of Excellence.
Breast ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves that are transmitted through breast tissue from a hand-held unit called a transducer. These sound waves bounce off breast tissues and create images recorded by a computer. No radiation is used, and minimal pressure on the breast is required. A breast ultrasound is useful in allowing a radiologist to distinguish between a breast cyst and a solid mass.
Breast MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is used to further evaluate abnormalities seen on mammography or when women are at higher risk for breast cancer. It can help determine the extent of cancer after a breast cancer diagnosis is confirmed. MRI uses magnetic forces to produce detailed images of the breast tissue on a computer.