Abstract:‌

‌Introduction:‌ Breast cancer has one of the highest incidence and mortality rates among malignancies in China. Early screening and precise diagnosis are crucial for improving patient prognosis. Photon-counting CT (PCCT) is an advanced CT imaging technology. Its detector utilizes semiconductor crystals as novel photosensitive materials, enabling the direct conversion of X-rays into electrical signals. This allows for further miniaturization of detector elements, enhancing imaging precision. Simultaneously, the photon-counting detector identifies and distinguishes the energy of individual received photons, achieving true monoenergetic imaging, which significantly improves the detection rate and imaging quality of minute lesions. PCCT enhances breast imaging accuracy, reduces artifacts caused by implants, and provides images with fewer artifacts and superior noise characteristics, particularly in low-dose scans. Dedicated breast CT equipped with photon-counting detectors can detect fine calcifications within breast masses, with radiation doses comparable to chest CT examinations.