Assessment of Three Breast Volume Measurement Techniques: Single Marking, MRI and Crisalix 3D Software.

INTRODUCTION

Measuring breast volume is important to obtain satisfactory breast surgery results, and many techniques are used for this purpose. Thus, the aim of the present study was to compare 3 breast volume techniques: Pessoa's single marking technique, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Crisalix 3D software.

METHODS

Fourteen patients indicated for mammoplasty were selected. Three breast volume measurement techniques were compared: Pessoa's single marking technique, MRI and Crisalix 3D software. The volumes were tabulated and analyzed using R software.

RESULTS

Average age was 30.93 ± 10.25 years. The breast volume was 1554.54 ± 512.54 cm, as measured by the MRI technique (considered the gold standard), 1199.64 ± 403.13 cm using Crisalix 3D software and 1518.04 ± 468.72 cm by Pessoa's single marking technique. Comparison between the Crisalix 3D software and MRI techniques using the pairwise t test demonstrated a statistically significant difference (t = 4.3957, df = 27, p value = 0001543), but no significant difference between the single marking and MRI techniques (t = 1.3841, df = 27, p value = 0.1777).

CONCLUSION

When compared to MRI, breast volume measurement using Pessoa's single marking technique showed no statistically significant difference between them. However, the Crisalix 3D technique exhibited a difference in relation to MRI. Anthropometric measurements are useful in measuring breast volume because they are easy to obtain, practical and inexpensive, and should be part of a plastic surgeon's arsenal.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

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