Juliette Selb PhD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Qianqian Fang PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Gregory Boverman, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Richard H. Moore, Abstract Co-Author: Research support, General Electric Company

Daniel Benjamin Kopans MD, Abstract Co-Author: Research support, General Electric Company

David Boas PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Stefan Carp PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Dianne Georgian-Smith MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Elizabeth Ann Rafferty MD, Abstract Co-Author: Research grant, Hologic, Inc

et al, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Diffuse optical imaging is an emerging non-invasive imaging modality based on the near-infrared spectroscopic characterization of the various chromophores of the breast, mainly oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin, water and lipid. It provides functional information complementary to the traditional structural information offered by mammography.

We developped a multi-wavelength optical imaging system coupled to a 3D mammogram system (tomosynthesis). The breast is positioned under compression between two transparent cassettes and a 3D mammogram is recorded, followed by an optical image during 45 seconds. Optical imaging analyses included (i) bulk optical property estimation and correlation with breast density, (ii) determination of the optical properties of fibro-glandular and adipose tissues based on the segmentation given by X-ray; (iii) 3D optical reconstruction with the 3D mesh extracted from the X-ray image without segmentation prior; (iv) dynamic imaging over 45 seconds of compression for study of pressure induced blood redistributions. Thirteen patients have been imaged so far, with 10 healthy breasts, and 3 breasts presenting lesions.

The imaging of normal breast revealed that the glandular tissue presents lower total hemoglobin (HbT ) concentration than the adipose tissue, which could be explained by pressure localizations. Compared to optical imaging without compression, our optical system shows that mammographic compression creates about 40% reduction in HbT in the breast. The spatial distributions of HbT content correlate with the structural information of mammography, as well as with the simulated pressure distributions inside the breast. The reconstructed results for a breast with a lesion suggest that functional information provided by optical imaging can complement mammographic imaging. We also started to study dynamic processes during compression, which could provide additional diagnostic values.

The combined imaging of breast structure and function through co-registered X-ray and optical images shows both correlated and complementary information.

This initial pilot study suggests promising new contrasts for cancer detection and lesion characterization.

Selb, J, Fang, Q, Boverman, G, Moore, R, Kopans, D, Boas, D, Carp, S, Georgian-Smith, D, Rafferty, E, et al, , Spatial Correlation of Breast Structure and Function Obtained with Co-registered 3D Mammography and Optical Imaging in Compressed Healthy and Cancerous Breasts.  Radiological Society of North America 2006 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 1, 2006 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2006/4441746.html