Chao-Jen Lai PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Xinming Liu PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Gary J. Whitman MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Ying Yi, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Zhicheng You, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Shuaiping Ge MS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Youtao Shen, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yuncheng Zhong PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Chris Chorng-Gang Shaw PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Investigator, Stellar Micro Devices

To compare scan equalization digital mammography (SEDM) with full-field digital mammography (FFDM) for detection of microcalcifications.

An anthropomorphic breast phantom (RMI 169) was imaged with a FFDM system at various exposure levels to obtain simulated SEDM images. 200-250 micron calcium carbonate grains, overlapping with 50% adipose/50% glandular simulated breast tissue slabs, were imaged and their attenuation profiles were measured. Slabs with different thicknesses were used to simulate different breast compositions using the primary signal levels as the reference. Attenuation profiles of microcalcifications were used to model and digitally insert simulated microcalcifications into three dense tissue regions in both the FFDM and SEDM images. For each microcalcification size, 16 FFDM images and 16 SEDM images were generated. The images were randomly displayed and reviewed by four readers. The readers were asked to identify and locate microcalcifications with the free-response paradigm. Sensitivity and false positives per image were used to quantify and compare the performances of the SEDM and FFDM image sets.

The SEDM images resulted in slightly higher sensitivity than the FFDM images for both microcalcification sizes (0.61 vs. 0.58 and 0.82 vs. 0.80). However, the differences were not found to be statistically significant (p-value = 0.08 and 0.25, respectively). On the other hand, the SEDM images resulted in seemingly much lower false positives/image than the FFDM images (3.08 vs. 3.44 and 0.85 vs. 1.02). However, the differences were not statistically significant (p-value = 0.13 and 0.36, respectively).

The SEDM technique helps improve image signal-to-noise ratios and low contrast performance in dense tissue regions of the breast. We have demonstrated the improvement in visibility of microcalcifications with limited sample size. (This work was supported in part by grants CA104759, CA124585, and CA138502 from NIH-NCI, a grant EB00117 from NIH-NIBIB, and a subcontract from NIST-ATP).

SEDM may help improve the detection of abnormalities in the dense tissue regions with similar entrance exposure as compared to FFDM.

Lai, C, Liu, X, Whitman, G, Yi, Y, You, Z, Ge, S, Shen, Y, Zhong, Y, Shaw, C, Comparison of Scan Equalization Digital Mammography (SEDM) with Full-Field Digital Mammography (FFDM) in Detection of Microcalcifications.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11034513.html