A numerical investigation of breast compression: a computer-aided design approach for prescribing boundary conditions.

Prior to performing an MRI-guided breast biopsy, the radiologist has to locate the suspect lesion with the breast compressed between rigid plates. However, the suspect lesion is typically identified from a diagnostic MRI exam with the breast hanging freely under the force of gravity. There are several challenges associated with localizing suspect lesions including, patient positioning, the visibility of the lesion may fade after contrast injection, menstrual cycles, and lesion deformation.