The first trial of phase contrast imaging for digital full-field mammography using a practical molybdenum x-ray tube.
OBJECTIVE
The image quality of a newly developed full-field digital phase contrast mammography (PCM) system and of a conventional screen-film (SF) mammography system were compared via images of a phantom and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of clinical images.


METHODS
Magnified (1.75X) PCM images were scanned (sampling rate, 43.75 microm) and then reduced to original-sized, 25-micron pixel images printed on photothermographic film. Along with corresponding SF images, the phantom images were evaluated subjectively, and the clinical images of 38 patients were subjected to ROC analysis of mass and microcalcification.


RESULTS
In the image quality of a phantom, the PCM exceeded the SF. In both mass and microcalcification, the ROC analysis Az values of the PCM clinical images surpassed those of the SF images.


CONCLUSIONS
The PCM provides better images than the SF. Clinical trials suggest superior detection of both mass and microcalcification by full-field digital PCM over conventional SF mammography.
Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan. toyohiko@poem.ocn.ne.jp
Toyohiko
T
Tanaka
Chika
C
Honda
Satoru
S
Matsuo
Kazuo
K
Noma
Hiromu
H
Oohara
Norihisa
N
Nitta
Shinichi
S
Ota
Keiko
K
Tsuchiya
Yoko
Y
Sakashita
Aya
A
Yamada
Michio
M
Yamasaki
Akira
A
Furukawa
Masashi
M
Takahashi
Kiyoshi
K
Murata
D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008982:Molybdenum; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D011858:Radiographic Magnification; D014963:X-Ray Intensifying Screens
D008982:Molybdenum