title: The effect of system geometry and dose on the threshold detectable calcification diameter in 2D-mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis.
abstract: Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is under consideration to replace or to be used in combination with 2D-mammography in breast screening. The aim of this study was the comparison of the detection of microcalcification clusters by human observers in simulated breast images using 2D-mammography, narrow angle (15°/15 projections) and wide angle (50°/25 projections) DBT. The effects of the cluster height in the breast and the dose to the breast on calcification detection were also tested. Simulated images of 6 cm thick compressed breasts were produced with and without microcalcification clusters inserted, using a set of image modelling tools for 2D-mammography and DBT. Image processing and reconstruction were performed using commercial software. A series of 4-alternative forced choice (4AFC) experiments was conducted for signal detection with the microcalcification clusters as targets. Threshold detectable calcification diameter was found for each imaging modality with standard dose: 2D-mammography: 2D-mammography (165  ±  9 µm), narrow angle DBT (211  ±  11 µm) and wide angle DBT (257  ±  14 µm). Statistically significant differences were found when using different doses, but different geometries had a greater effect. No differences were found between the threshold detectable calcification diameters at different heights in the breast. Calcification clusters may have a lower detectability using DBT than 2D imaging.
authors.affiliation: National Coordinating Centre for the Physics of Mammography, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, Surrey, UK.
authors.forename: Andria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hadjipanteli
authors.forename: Premkumar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Elangovan
authors.forename: Alistair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mackenzie
authors.forename: Padraig T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Looney
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Dance
authors.forename: Kenneth C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D012984:Software; D014056:Tomography, X-Ray / Q000379:methods*