title: [Phase contrast imaging of the breast. Basic principles and steps towards clinical implementation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mammography is the only imaging technique approved for nationwide breast cancer screening. Digital full field mammography has improved mammographic image quality. Nevertheless, mammography has a low positive predictive value and a low sensitivity especially in mammographically dense breasts. One of the major limitations is the inherently low contrast between healthy breast parenchyma and breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Phase contrast imaging is based on the phase shift that occurs when X-rays encounter a change in refractive index between different materials.
  
  
  METHODS
  The improved soft tissue contrast makes the technology particularly promising for breast diagnostics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The studies presented here suggest that phase contrast imaging provides additional diagnostic information both using phase contrast mammography and phase contrast computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper provides an overview of the basic principles of the phase contrast imaging and describes recent developments towards in vivo and ex vivo phase contrast imaging of the breast.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Klinische Radiologie, Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Campus Großhadern, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, München, Deutschland, susanne.grandl@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grandl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sztrókay-Gaul
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Auweter
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hellerhoff
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods*; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity