[203] Visualizing Internal Structures of the Breast in Thick-Sections Using X-ray Dark-Field Imaging

S Ichihara, M Ando, D Shimao, S Moritani, M Hasegawa, H Sugiyama. Nagoya Medical Center, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan; Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan; Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Science, Ami, Ibaraki, Japan; High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

Background: X-ray dark field imaging (XDFI) using synchrotron light and Laue geometry analyzer is a new imaging system that makes it possible to extract only refracted components of x-ray (Ando et al. 2001 Jpn. J. Appl. Phys). The new method attains extremely high contrast (approximately 100:1 than the absorption contrast) and high resolution (about 20 microns) without contrast material. The aim of this study is to validate XDFI by comparing its images of various breast lesions with those of the stained histological sections.
Design: Paraffin embeded blocks (3-4mm in thickness) containing normal terminal duct lobular units (TDLU), cysts, nodular adenosis, phyllodes tumor, non-invasive and invasive carcinoma were visualized using XDFI at beamline BL14 of the Photon Factory in Tsukuba, Japan. The images were compared with the images of the hematoxylin stained thick section as well as hematoxylin and eosin stained thin section.
Results: Although the most lesions were located within the dense breast, XDFI successfully visualized them. Nodular adenosis was seen as a high refractive arborescent area. The refractivity of the nodular adenosis is slightly greater than those of the surrounding normal TDLU (Figure 1a, arrow).

High grade DCIS was observed as multiple pore like areas less refractive than the surrounding fibroglandular tissue (Figure 2a).

These XDFI images closely simulated those of conventional thick and thin sections (Figure 1b,2b).
Conclusions: XDFI is a powerful tool to visualize internal structures of the dense breast without either destruction or contrast material.
Category: Breast

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 1:00 PM

Poster Session VI # 30, Wednesday Afternoon