The Johns Hopkins Breast Imaging Center is a comprehensive breast evaluation center which includes Mammography, High Resolution Breast Ultrasound, Scintimammography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The physicians at the Johns Hopkins Breast Imaging Center are board certified radiologists with expertise in breast imaging. The radiologists in the Breast Imaging Center evaluate breast problems exclusively. This dedication and specialization allows for the highest level of expertise and experience in the field of breast imaging. All the technologists who perform the mammograms in the Center have advanced certification for expertise in Mammography. The Center is accredited by the American College of Radiology and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Hopkins selected to participate in first major study of Digital Mammography

The philosophy of the Breast Imaging Center is patient centered. As such, all patients evaluated at the Breast Imaging Center receive the results of their mammography at the time of the examination. This eliminates the anxiety to the patient, as the patient no longer has to wait until her physician and ultimately she receives the results of her mammogram. This can take several days and up to a week or more. We believe that the patient is our main concern and therefore, the mammograms are interpreted by one of our expert radiologist at the time of the examination and the results are discussed with the patient. Any questions which you may have are answered.

The commitment of the Johns Hopkins Breast Imaging Center is to maximize the expertise and rapidity with which mammograms are interpreted. It is our aim and goal to allow each woman to leave our Center with their results and with any additional evaluation or intervention which is necessary at the time of her examination. We believe that we should do everything we can to alleviate or minimize the anxiety a women feels until she receives the results of her mammogram or diagnosis. It is not uncommon that the initial mammographic examination requires supplemental views. The need for these views should not be alarming. Rather, they should be regarded as a means of maximizing the thoroughness of the evaluation. Overwhelming, these additional views reveal that the area on the mammogram was in fact a focus of dense breast tissue or other benign finding. However, should further investigation be necessary, any additional views will be done at the time of the mammographic examination. Should an ultrasound be necessary, that too will be performed at the time the patient is seen. The ultrasound examination is performed with state of the art high resolution breast ultrasound equipment and the examination is performed by the physician. The results of the ultrasound will be discussed with the patient.

Should the mammogram and/or ultrasound reveal an abnormality that requires a biopsy, the biopsy will be performed in Breast Imaging. The Division of Breast Imaging has the complete array of breast biopsy capabilities including fine needled aspiration biopsies, stereotactic and ultrasound guided core biopsies, vacuum assisted biopsy device (Mammotome). Having the entire array of biopsy capabilities allows for individualization for the specific abnormality and allows for the most thorough biopsy with minimal invasiveness to maximize patient care.

Previously, patients who had a breast abnormality and required biopsy meant that the patient would have to fast from midnight prior to the surgical procedure, come to the operating room, have an intravenous placed, pre-op testing, have anesthesia to put them to sleep, having surgical biopsy requiring an incision and stitches and then awaking from the anesthesia with the concomitant sequelae, which may included nausea. However, now, we have the capability of obtaining extremely accurate and precise breast biopsies without the need for surgery. In these procedures, the patient need not fast the night before, does not require an IV, or will not need to be asleep, and can have a minimally invasive biopsy which usually does not require stitches. In this procedure, either ultrasound or stereotactic guided is used to accurately localize the abnormality and a small needles is placed in the abnormality. The tissue obtained is sent to Pathology. If you would like a more in-depth explanation of the different types of biopsy techniques, click here. The pathology results are often obtained within 24 hours and almost invariably within 48 hours. In this way, we try to minimize the amount of time until the results of the pathology are obtained.

The Faculty of the Johns Hopkins Imaging Center: The faculty biographies can be viewed by clicking here.

All patients who are seen at the Johns Hopkins Breast Imaging Center are part of the Multidisciplinary Breast Center at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Therefore, when the situation arise which require consultation with other specialties, patients will be presented before a panel of physicians who are experts in breast cancer, including medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, and pathology. In this way, clinical problems are approached in a multidisciplinary fashion to maximize the benefit of the expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer at Johns Hopkins.

It is important that we emphasize the commitment of the Breast Imaging Center to same-day diagnosis. Therefore, patients should understand that they will be evaluated until a decision is rendered as to whether the mammographic finding is normal or requires further intervention and should the patient desire, intervention will be obtained at that time it at all possible. This is done not only for mammograms obtained at Johns Hopkins but as a second opinion of mammograms obtained at other health care facilities.

Consultation Services: The physicians interpreting mammograms at the Johns Hopkins Breast Imaging Center have a consultation service for mammograms and all breast imaging modalities obtained elsewhere. This service is for having films re-read and is limited to images that are scored as a bi-rad 4 or 5. Patients can send their mammograms to Johns Hopkins Breast Imaging Center, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD 21287. Mammograms must be accompanied by information regarding any physical finding as well as the address and a mechanism of reaching the individual who sent the mammograms, and the name of her referring physician.

  PATIENT REFERRED FORM - This form is to be completed if you wish to have your mammograms and/or breast ultrasounds read and evaluated by the faculty of the Johns Hopkins Breast Imaging Center. If your doctor wishes to refer you to our facility for a second reading of your mammogram or for diagnostic work up, do not use this form. Use the Physician Referred Form

  PHYSICIAN REFERRED FORM - This form is to be completed if you wish to have a patient's mammograms and/or breast ultrasounds read and evaluated by the faculty of the Johns Hopkins Breast Imaging Center. You may also use the Maryland Uniform Consultation Form.

  THE JOHNS HOPKINS RADIOLOGY INSURANCE WAIVER - For mammograms and breast ultrasounds.

Within 2 working days of obtaining the mammograms, they will be evaluated and you will be called regarding the results. Any further evaluation which would be necessary, could be performed at the Johns Hopkins Breast Imaging Center. However, if it is not feasible to come to the Center, then the specific additional evaluation which is necessary will be delineated and both the patient and her physician will be informed so that these can be obtained.

Additional Technology for diagnosing breast abnormalities:

Ultrasound

Mammography remains the accepted screening method for the detection of breast cancer. However, any mammographic abnormality or any physical finding in the breast which could be felt by the patient or physician, may require additional evaluation with ultrasound. At the Johns Hopkins Breast Imaging Center, we use only high resolution, state of the art real time ultrasound. The ultrasound scanning is performed by the physician. During the examination, the patient is encouraged to ask questions and the results of the ultrasound will be discussed with the patient. Ultrasound may also be used to evaluate the breasts of women who are at high risk for breast cancer and who have dense breasts in order to utilize an additional modality for the detection of breast cancer. Although this is not typically performed as a routine screening modality, ultrasound can be used to evaluate both breasts in specific situations.