Visibility of simulated microcalcifications--a hardcopy-based comparison of three mammographic systems.

Full-field digital mammography systems are currently available for clinical use. These digital systems offer improved image quality, flexible image processing, display, storage, retrieval, and transmission. These systems employ a variety of different x-ray detectors based on storage phosphors (in computed radiography), charge-coupled devices (CCDs), or amorphous silicon flat panels (FPs). The objective of this study is to compare three different types of mammographic detectors: screenfilm (SF) combination, a CsI-based FP detector, a CCD and x-ray phosphor-based detector for their performance in detection of simulated microcalcifications. Microcalcifications (MCs) were simulated with calcium carbonate grains of various sizes (90-355 microm). They were overlapped with a slab of simulated 50% adipose/50% glandular breast tissue for a uniform background or an anthropomorphic breast phantom for a tissue structure background. Images of the phantoms, acquired with and without magnification, were reviewed by mammographers, physicists, and students. A five-point confidence level rating was given for each MC reviewed. Average ratings from the mammographers were used to compare the performances of the three imaging systems, various MC size groups, and two magnification modes. The results indicate that with uniform background and no magnification, the FP system performed the best while the SF system did slightly better than the CCD system. With magnification added, all detection tasks were improved except for the smallest and largest one or two size groups. In particular, detection in the SF and CCD images was significantly improved over that in the FP images. With tissue structure background and no magnification, the FP system was outperformed by the SF and the CCD systems. With magnification added, the performance of the FP and the CCD systems was improved significantly. With this improvement, the SF and FP systems were outperformed by the CCD system.

[1]  Phillip C. Bunch.  Objective imaging characteristics of mammographic screen-film systems , 1996, Medical Imaging.

[2]  Biao Chen,et al.  Cone-beam volume CT breast imaging: feasibility study. , 2002, Medical physics.

[3]  S Suryanarayanan,et al.  Mammographic imaging with a small format CCD-based digital cassette: physical characteristics of a clinical system. , 2000, Medical physics.

[4]  Ehsan Samei,et al.  DQE of direct and indirect digital radiography systems , 2001 .

[5]  B. Munier,et al.  Full field digital mammography scanner. , 1999, European journal of radiology.

[6]  L. Liberman,et al.  Use of digital mammography in needle localization procedures. , 1993, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[7]  Larry E. Antonuk,et al.  Large-area flat-panel amorphous silicon imagers , 1995, Medical Imaging.

[8]  E Grabbe,et al.  Storage phosphor direct magnification mammography in comparison with conventional screen-film mammography--a phantom study. , 1998, The British journal of radiology.

[9]  J A Rowlands,et al.  X-ray imaging using amorphous selenium: feasibility of a flat panel self-scanned detector for digital radiology. , 1995, Medical physics.

[10]  Shi Yin,et al.  Image quality of a prototype direct conversion detector for digital mammography , 1999, Medical Imaging.

[11]  Serge Muller,et al.  Development of contrast digital mammography. , 2002, Medical physics.

[12]  C J D'Orsi,et al.  Comparison of tomosynthesis methods used with digital mammography. , 2000, Academic radiology.

[13]  E. Grabbe,et al.  Screen film vs full-field digital mammography: image quality, detectability and characterization of lesions , 2002, European Radiology.

[14]  A Fenster,et al.  Dual-energy mammography: initial experimental results. , 1985, Medical physics.

[15]  Kunio Doi,et al.  Magnification film mammography: image quality and clinical studies. , 1977 .

[16]  J A Seibert,et al.  Performance evaluation of computed radiography systems. , 2001, Medical physics.

[17]  Srinivasan Vedantham,et al.  Flat-panel digital mammography system: contrast-detail comparison between screen-film radiographs and hard-copy images. , 2002, Radiology.

[18]  M Ishida,et al.  Breast imaging: dual-energy projection radiography with digital radiography. , 1987, Radiology.

[19]  N. Petrick,et al.  Improvement of radiologists' characterization of mammographic masses by using computer-aided diagnosis: an ROC study. , 1999, Radiology.

[20]  J A Rowlands,et al.  Digital radiology using active matrix readout of amorphous selenium: theoretical analysis of detective quantum efficiency. , 1997, Medical physics.

[21]  S Suryanarayanan,et al.  Full breast digital mammography with an amorphous silicon-based flat panel detector: physical characteristics of a clinical prototype. , 2000, Medical physics.

[22]  E. Grabbe,et al.  Magnification mammography: a comparison of full-field digital mammography and screen-film mammography for the detection of simulated small masses and microcalcifications , 2002, European Radiology.

[23]  Paul Leblans,et al.  New needle-crystalline CR detector , 2001, SPIE Medical Imaging.

[24]  X Liu,et al.  Comparison of an amorphous silicon/cesium iodide flat-panel digital chest radiography system with screen/film and computed radiography systems--a contrast-detail phantom study. , 2001, Medical physics.

[25]  G G Cox,et al.  Teleradiology: an assessment. , 1990, Radiology.

[26]  L L Fajardo,et al.  Contrast-detail detectability analysis: comparison of a digital spot mammography system and an analog screen-film mammography system. , 1997, Academic radiology.

[27]  Xinming Liu,et al.  A dual-energy subtraction technique for microcalcification imaging in digital mammography--a signal-to-noise analysis. , 2002, Medical physics.

[28]  Martin J Yaffe,et al.  Contrast-enhanced digital mammography: initial clinical experience. , 2003, Radiology.

[29]  L. Brinton,et al.  Recent trends in breast cancer incidence and mortality , 2002, Environmental and molecular mutagenesis.

[30]  Denny L. Y. Lee,et al.  New digital detector for projection radiography , 1995, Medical Imaging.

[31]  J. Rowlands,et al.  The physics of computed radiography. , 2002, Physics in medicine and biology.

[32]  Youming Li,et al.  High-resolution amorphous silicon image sensor , 1996, Medical Imaging.

[33]  Luisa P. Wallace,et al.  Computer-aided detection in mammography: an assessment of performance on current and prior images. , 2002, Academic radiology.

[34]  Andrew D. A. Maidment,et al.  Current status of full-field digital mammography. , 2000, Academic radiology.

[35]  Chris C. Shaw,et al.  Comparison of a-Si:H/CsI flat-panel digital imaging systems with CR-and CCD-based systems: image quality measurements , 2001 .

[36]  H Imhof,et al.  Noise reduction by radiographic magnification. , 1977, Radiology.

[37]  Andrew D. A. Maidment,et al.  Clinical evaluation of a full-field digital-projection radiography detector , 1998, Medical Imaging.

[38]  M. Giger,et al.  Improving breast cancer diagnosis with computer-aided diagnosis. , 1999, Academic radiology.

[39]  A R Cowen,et al.  Visibility of microcalcifications in computed and screen-film mammography. , 1997, Physics in medicine and biology.

[40]  Peter G. J. Barten,et al.  Contrast sensitivity of the human eye and its e ects on image quality , 1999 .

[41]  J Yorkston,et al.  Signal, noise power spectrum, and detective quantum efficiency of indirect-detection flat-panel imagers for diagnostic radiology. , 1998, Medical physics.

[42]  C Kimme-Smith,et al.  Digital mammography. A comparison of two digitization methods. , 1989, Investigative radiology.

[43]  Kerry T. Krugh,et al.  Microcalcification detectability for four mammographic detectors: flat-panel, CCD, CR, and screen/film). , 2002, Medical physics.

[44]  J A Rowlands,et al.  X-ray detectors for digital radiography. , 1997, Physics in medicine and biology.

[45]  Hiroaki Yasuda,et al.  Improvement of image quality in CR mammography by detection of emissions from dual sides of an imaging plate , 2000, Medical Imaging.

[46]  Daniel M. O'Mara,et al.  Prototype CCD-based detector for whole-breast digital mammography , 1997, Medical Imaging.

[47]  E A Sickles,et al.  Mammographic detectability of breast microcalcifications. , 1982, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[48]  A Workman,et al.  A comparison of the imaging properties of CCD-based devices used for small field digital mammography. , 2002, Physics in medicine and biology.

[49]  D. Kopans,et al.  Digital tomosynthesis in breast imaging. , 1997, Radiology.