Evaluation of tomosynthesis elastography in a breast-mimicking phantom

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biophysics
• Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

• Distinguishing between benign and malignant breast lesions is crucial for effective patient management.
• Elastography, a technique that measures tissue stiffness, has shown promise in improving breast lesion characterization.
• Tomosynthesis offers improved visualization of breast tissue compared to conventional mammography.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of using strain measurement during static compression in tomosynthesis to differentiate simulated tumors with varying elasticities.
• To compare tomosynthesis elastography results with rheometric analysis and ultrasound elastography.

Main Methods:

• Three breast-mimicking phantoms with simulated tumors of different elasticities were created.
• Phantoms were imaged using a wide-angle tomosynthesis system under varying compression (0-105 N).
• Strain was measured in two planes, and elasticity was determined via rheometry and two ultrasound elastography methods.

Main Results:

• Tomosynthesis elastography demonstrated distinct strain ratios for soft (0.72±0.13), intermediate (1.02±0.21), and firm (2.67±1.70) inclusions.
• These findings correlated with rheometric predictions and showed comparability to ultrasound elastography results.
• Significant differences in strain were observed between inclusions of varying stiffness.

Conclusions:

• Measuring strain under compression in tomosynthesis can potentially differentiate simulated breast lesions based on elasticity.
• This tomosynthesis-based elastography technique may offer a valuable tool for assessing the mechanical properties of breast lesions.
• Further research is warranted to validate this method in clinical settings.