title: Microscopic diffusion properties of fixed breast tissue: Preliminary findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the microscopic diffusion properties of formalin-fixed breast tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diffusion microimaging was performed at 16.4T with 40-μm isotropic voxels on two normal and two cancer tissue samples from four patients. Results were correlated with histology of the samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diffusion-weighted images and mean diffusivity maps demonstrated distinct diffusivity differences between breast tissue components. Mean diffusivity (MD) in normal tissue was 0.59 ± 0.24 μm(2) /ms for gland lobule (voxels containing epithelium and intralobular stroma) and 1.23 ± 0.34 μm(2) /ms for interlobular fibrous stroma. In the cancer samples, MD = 0.45 ± 0.23 μm(2) /ms for invasive ductal carcinoma (voxels contain epithelium and intralobular stroma) and 0.61 ± 0.35 μm(2) /ms for ductal carcinoma in situ. There were significant MD differences between all tissue components (P < 0.005), except between gland lobule and ductal carcinoma in situ (P = 0.71). The low diffusivity of epithelium-rich cancer tissue and of normal epithelium relative to its supporting fibrous stroma was similar to that reported for prostate tissue and the esophageal wall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diffusion microimaging demonstrates distinct diffusivity differences between breast tissue glandular structures. Low diffusivity may be a distinctive feature of mammalian epithelia.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Narina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Norddin
authors.affiliation: Biological Resources Imaging Laboratory, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Power
authors.affiliation: Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cowin
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Nyoman D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Kurniawan
authors.affiliation: The Strathfield Breast Centre, Strathfield, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gluch
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Roger M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bourne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001940:Breast / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D004058:Diffusion; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005404:Fixatives / Q000737:chemistry; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde
keywords: DTI; breast; diffusion; microimaging