title: Clinical application of low-dose phase contrast breast CT: methods for the optimization of the reconstruction workflow.
abstract: Results are presented of a feasibility study of three-dimensional X-ray tomographic mammography utilising in-line phase contrast. Experiments were performed at SYRMEP beamline of Elettra synchrotron. A specially designed plastic phantom and a mastectomy sample containing a malignant lesion were used to study the reconstructed image quality as a function of different image processing operations. Detailed evaluation and optimization of image reconstruction workflows have been carried out using combinations of several advanced computed tomography algorithms with different pre-processing and post-processing steps. Special attention was paid to the effect of phase retrieval on the diagnostic value of the reconstructed images. A number of objective image quality indices have been applied for quantitative evaluation of the results, and these were compared with subjective assessments of the same images by three experienced radiologists and one pathologist. The outcomes of this study provide practical guidelines for the optimization of image processing workflows in synchrotron-based phase-contrast mammo-tomography.
authors: Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Basovizza (Trieste), Italy ; Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Pacilè
authors: Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Basovizza (Trieste), Italy ; Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Brun
authors: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Dullin
authors: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Melbourne, Australia.
authors: Y I
authors: YI
authors: Nesterest
authors: Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Basovizza (Trieste), Italy.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Dreossi
authors: Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Basovizza (Trieste), Italy ; The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy ; now at LAC+ USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Mohammadi
authors: AOU - Trieste Hospital, Department of Radiology, Trieste, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Tonutti
authors: AOU - Trieste Hospital, Department of Radiology, Trieste, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Stacul
authors: Maroondah BreastScreen, Melbourne, Australia.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Lockie
authors: Department of Medical Science-Unit of Pathology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Zanconati
authors: Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Accardo
authors: Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Basovizza (Trieste), Italy.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Tromba
authors: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Melbourne, Australia ; School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia ; School of Science and Engineering, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia ; ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors: T E
authors: TE
authors: Gureyev
keywords: (100.5070) Phase retrieval; (110.3000) Image quality assessment; (170.3010) Image reconstruction techniques; (170.3830) Mammography; (170.3880) Medical and biological imaging; (170.6960) Tomography; (170.7440) X-ray imaging; (340.6720) Synchrotron radiation