title: Interferometer-based phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography of colon cancer specimens: comparative study with 4.74-T magnetic resonance imaging and optical microscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography (PCCT) with an interferometer can reveal the inner soft tissue structures of biological objects without contrast agent, and the image quality is thought to resemble that of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Comparative study among PCCT, MRI, and optical microscopy was undertaken.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three formalin-fixed colon cancer specimens from nude mice were imaged both by PCCT with a reconstructed volumetric resolution of (0.018)3 mm3 and 4.74-T MRI with that of (0.075)3 mm3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography with an interferometer clearly demonstrated the inner structures of colon cancer masses, such as cancer, necrosis, surrounding tumor vessels, and skin, in a similar way to low-magnified optical microscopic images and had approximately 4.0-fold higher signal-to-noise ratio than MRI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With formalin-fixed biological samples, PCCT exhibited higher image quality than MRI and was thought to be suitable for detailed imaging of soft tissue with high volumetric resolution.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan. ttakeda@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tohoru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Thet Thet
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Lwin
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoneyama
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hyodo
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kose
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D007368:Interferometry / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D051381:Rats; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde