Foam cushions lessen mammography pain. (Image Quality Maintained).

CHICAGO -- If you've ever had a patient say that she's never going back for a mammogram because it's just too painful, tune in: Single-use foam cushions significantly reduced the pain from mammograms without compromising image quality, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

In the investigation, 838 women from Sweden and 505 women from Southern California underwent mammography. The cushion was used on one breast, but the other breast did not have a cushion, said Dr. Susan G. Roux, a Laguna Hills, Calif.-based radiologist.

Using an analogue scale, the women described their anticipated level of pain before the exam as well as the level of pain they actually experienced.

In the two groups, 66% and 74% of patients, respectively, described significant pain reduction when the cushion was used. Overall, one-third of the patients experienced about a 50% reduction in pain, compared with the uncushioned breast. Women described the cushion as providing a "warm and soft" sensation.

The cushions are made out of artifact-free, radiolucent, micrograde foam that compresses to a thickness of 1 mm during the exam.

There were no differences in image quality with and without the pad. "You can see the fine detail of the pectoral muscles through the pad. The arteries, the calcifications, and veins are all easily visualized," she said. Even in patients with calcifications as small as 40-50 micrometers, there was no difference in image quality.

The cushions, approved by the Food and ...