Near-infrared optical imaging of the breast with model-based reconstruction.
OBJECTIVE
Near-infrared diffuse optical imaging may offer enhanced contrast resolution over that of the existing technologies for detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. The authors report quantitative absorption and scattering images of the human breast with model-based reconstruction methods using near-infrared continuous-wave tomographic data.


METHODS
An automatic, multichannel optical imaging system was used to image the breasts of nine women: four with infiltrating ductal carcinomas, one with infiltrating lobular carcinoma, one with fibroadenoma, and three control subjects with no breast lesion. The image reconstruction methods are centered on the finite element solution of photon diffusion in breast tissue.


RESULTS
Substantial contrast between tumor and adjacent parenchyma was observed. Images of the control subjects showed homogeneous optical features. In the six women with breast lesions, the locations and sizes of tumors imaged optically were accurate and consistent with the mammographic findings.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this pilot study show that cancers as small as 5 mm can be quantitatively imaged. In addition, preliminary data from the scattering images suggest that benign and malignant tumors can be noninvasively differentiated with optical imaging.
Jiang
Huabei
H
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, SC 29634-0978, USA.
Iftimia
Nicusor V
NV
Xu
Yong
Y
Eggert
Julia A
JA
Fajardo
Laurie L
LL
Klove
Karen L
KL
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*