Mammography ARRT Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (1–10)

Question 1

The upper outer quadrant (UOQ) of the breast contains the greatest volume of glandular tissue. Approximately what percentage of breast cancers originate in this quadrant?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

50%. About 50% of breast cancers arise in the upper outer quadrant because it contains the largest amount of glandular tissue of any single quadrant, including the axillary tail of Spence.

Question 2

The axillary tail of Spence is an extension of breast tissue that projects toward which anatomical region?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Axilla. The axillary tail (tail of Spence) is a projection of glandular tissue that extends from the upper outer quadrant toward the axilla, passing through an opening in the deep fascia known as the foramen of Langer.

Question 3

The sebaceous glands located on the areola that enlarge during pregnancy and lactation are called:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Montgomery glands. Montgomery glands (tubercles of Montgomery) are modified sebaceous glands on the areola; they secrete an oily substance that lubricates and protects the nipple-areola complex, and they become more prominent during pregnancy and lactation.

Question 4

On a mammogram, a normal nipple typically appears as a:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Dome-shaped soft-tissue density at the skin surface. The nipple is imaged as a rounded or dome-shaped soft-tissue density at the anterior skin surface of the breast; it must be in profile on at least one view to avoid being mistaken for a mass or to prevent missing a retraction.

Question 5

Smooth muscle fibers within the nipple are responsible for nipple erection. These fibers are oriented in which arrangement?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Both circular and longitudinal. The nipple contains smooth muscle fibers arranged in both circular (sphincter-like) and longitudinal orientations, enabling erection in response to tactile, thermal, and hormonal stimuli and facilitating milk ejection during lactation.

Question 6

Normal breast skin thickness on a mammogram is generally less than:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

3 mm. Normal breast skin measures less than 3 mm in thickness on mammography. Skin thickening greater than 3 mm can be a sign of edema, inflammatory carcinoma, lymphatic obstruction, or radiation change.

Question 7

Cooper's ligaments (suspensory ligaments of the breast) function primarily to:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Support breast tissue by connecting glandular tissue to the overlying skin and deep fascia. Cooper's ligaments are fibrous suspensory bands that attach the breast parenchyma to the overlying dermis and to the deep fascia, providing structural support and giving the breast its shape. Invasion by carcinoma causes skin dimpling (peau d'orange).

Question 8

On a mammogram, Cooper's ligaments are visualized as:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Thin curvilinear lines within the subcutaneous fat. Cooper's ligaments appear as thin, curvilinear, or tent-shaped lines within the subcutaneous and retroglandular fat on mammography. They become more apparent when the fat content of the breast is high.

Question 9

Breast edema caused by lymphatic obstruction produces skin thickening and a reticular trabecular pattern on mammography primarily because:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Fluid accumulates within and around Cooper's ligaments and periductal stroma, thickening them. When lymphatic drainage is obstructed (by tumor, radiation, or infection), interstitial fluid accumulates in the periductal and periligamentous spaces, thickening Cooper's ligaments and the skin and creating the characteristic trabecular or reticular pattern seen on mammography.

Question 10

The retromammary space (retromammary bursa) lies between which two structures?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Posterior surface of the breast and the pectoralis major fascia. The retromammary space is a layer of loose areolar tissue and fat lying between the deep (posterior) surface of the breast and the pectoralis major fascia, allowing some mobility of the breast on the chest wall.

Mammography ARRT Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (1–10)

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