The Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) released reopening recommendations on May 5 for breast imaging facilities impacted by COVID-19 closures.
SBI listed recommendations to ensure a safe and socially distant environment for patients and staff as facilities reopen. The recommendations include the following:
- Only see patients who have cleared COVID-19 screening at scheduling and before entering the facility
- Initially reduce or spread out appointments to prevent too many patients from gathering in waiting rooms
- Modify waiting rooms and changing rooms to facilitate social distancing
- Streamline patient registration, check-in, and check-out processes
- Limit staff interactions to the fewest number possible
- Wear appropriate personal protective equipment, including masks for patients and providers, as well as gowns and gloves during procedures
- Consider performing shorter or same-day imaging procedures, including abbreviated MRI, same-day screening interpretation, and same-day biopsy procedures
The society also advised newly reopened facilities to prioritize seeing patients with the greatest need first. This could include women with postponed breast cancer surgery and those with recommendations for percutaneous breast biopsy.
The exact time frames to reopen should be based on several location-specific factors, SBI noted. Factors to consider when reopening include COVID-19 prevalence, government restrictions, the availability of personal protective equipment, and whether surgeons, oncologists, and radiation oncologists in the area have the capacity to accept newly diagnosed patients.
The society recommended that SBI members discuss reopening plans and timetables with multidisciplinary and administrative partners.
![Examples of ultrasound findings and techniques. (A) Images in a 39-year-old male patient with a mass in the left thigh. The mass is heterogeneous on the B-mode US image (compared with the patient in D) and showed increased microvascularity (superb microvascular imaging [SMI]) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) values. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy (with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in surgical specimen). (B) Images in an 18-year-old male patient with a mass in the left leg. The mass is hypoechoic on the B-mode image, with no other findings suggestive of malignancy. The lesion is in contact with the cortex of the tibia, which is slightly irregular. CT revealed a doubtful anteromedial tibial erosion. The microvascular study demonstrated high vascularization, suggestive of malignancy. Periosteal Ewing sarcoma was diagnosed with both histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. (C) Images in a 69-year-old female patient with a lump growing on the outside of the left leg. Multiple SWE examinations were performed (please note the high values obtained in the measurements, whereas the color map highlights the stiffness relative to adjacent tissues). SMI showed areas of increased vascularization to target for sampling. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with residual leiomyosarcoma in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant therapy. (D) Images in a 56-year-old female patient with a mass in the right thigh. The mass is heterogeneous at both B-mode ultrasound (similar to patient A) and MRI (coronal T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery [SPAIR]; T1-weighted pre-contrast and postcontrast imaging), which even shows uptake after the administration of paramagnetic contrast material, which is traditionally suggestive of malignancy. Low values at SMI and elastography are suggestive of benignity. Spindle cell lipoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with atypical spindle cell lipomatous tumor in the surgical specimen.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/images-radiol250278fig2.APCFLSvX6p.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
