Development and validation of a modelling framework for simulating 2D-mammography and breast tomosynthesis images

Elangovan, Premkumar; Warren, Lucy M.; Mackenzie, Alistair; Rashidnasab, Alaleh; Díaz, Oliver; Dance, David R.; Young, Kenneth C.; Bosmans, Hilde; Strudley, Celia; Wells, Kevin

doi:10.1088/0031-9155/59/15/4275

Cited by 48 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Figure 3 shows the measured spicule thickness plotted as a function of spicule distance from the base. In order to evaluate the appearance of the spiculated masses, the masses were inserted into normal patient images obtained on a Hologic Selenia Dimensions 3D system (Hologic Inc, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA) using a physicsbased insertion technique 2 . A brief summary of this technique is given below.…”

Section: Simulation Of Spiculesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This approach is cumbersome and time-consuming and cannot match the rapid pace of technological development. Computerized modelling tools 2 can be used to complement or replace conventional clinical trials and such use is generally referred to as a 'virtual clinical trial'. Virtual clinical trials involve simulation of a large number of images to conduct quantitative evaluation and comparison studies of different imaging modalities and system designs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Simulation of spiculated breast lesions

Elangovan

Alrehily

et al. 2016

SPIE Proceedings

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Virtual clinical trials are a promising new approach increasingly used for the evaluation and comparison of breast imaging modalities. A key component in such an assessment paradigm is the use of simulated pathology, in particular, simulation of lesions. Breast mass lesions can be generally classified into two categories based on their appearance; nonspiculated masses and spiculated masses. In our previous work, we have successfully simulated non-spiculated masses using a fractal growth process known as diffusion limited aggregation. In this new work, we have extended the DLA model to simulate spiculated lesions by using features extracted from patient DBT images containing spiculated lesions. The features extracted included spicule length, width, curvature and distribution. This information was used to simulate realistic looking spicules which were attached to the surface of a DLA mass to produce a spiculated mass. A batch of simulated spiculated masses was inserted into normal patient images and presented to an experienced radiologist for review. The study yielded promising results with the radiologist rating 60% of simulated lesions in 2D and 50% of simulated lesions in DBT as realistic.

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Section: Simulation Of Spiculesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation of spiculated breast lesions

Elangovan

Alrehily

et al. 2016

SPIE Proceedings

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“…Radiological projections of the breast model were generated by using the validated radiological image simulation chain described in Elangovan et al (2014). The radiological images were simulated to mimic the Hologic Selenia Dimensions 3D system.…”

Section: Synthetic Image Acquisitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and validation of realistic breast models for use in multiple alternative forced choice virtual clinical trials

et al. 2017

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A novel method has been developed for generating quasi-realistic voxel phantoms which simulate the compressed breast in mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). The models are suitable for use in virtual clinical trials requiring realistic anatomy which use the multiple alternative forced choice (AFC) paradigm and patches from the complete breast image. The breast models are produced by extracting features of breast tissue components from digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) clinical images including skin, adipose and fibro-glandular tissue, blood vessels and Cooper's ligaments. A range of different breast models can then be generated by combining these components. Visual realism was validated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) study of patches from simulated images calculated using the breast models and from real patient images. Quantitative analysis was undertaken using fractal dimension and power spectrum analysis. The average areas under the ROC curves for 2D and DBT images were .51±.06 and .54±.09 demonstrating that simulated and real images were statistically indistinguishable by expert breast readers (7 observers); errors represented as one standard error of the mean. The average fractal dimensions (2D, DBT) for real and simulated images were (2.72±.01, 2.75±.01) and (2.77±.03, 2.82±.04) respectively; errors represented as one standard error of the mean. Excellent agreement was found between power spectrum curves of real and simulated images, with average β values (2D, DBT) of (3.10±.17, 3.21±.11) and (3.01±.32, 3.19±.07) respectively; errors represented as one standard error of the mean. These results demonstrate that radiological images of these breast models realistically represent the complexity of real breast structures and can be used to simulate patches from mammograms and DBT images that are indistinguishable from patches from the corresponding real breast images. The method can generate about 500 radiological patches (~30mm x 30mm) per day for AFC experiments on a single workstation. This is the first study to quantitatively validate the realism of simulated radiological breast images using direct blinded comparison with real data via the ROC paradigm with expert breast readers. Page 1 of 16AUTHOR SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT -PMB-104914. R2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 KeywordsVirtual clinical trials, breast model, breast phantom, synthetic breast, image simulation, 2D-mammography, digital breast tomosynthesis.

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“…The kVp and target/filter materials used in the x-ray simulation were: (i) 2D: 31 kVp W/Rh, (ii) DBT: 33 kVp W/Al, which are typical of those used clinically for a 6 cm thick breast. The primary projections were produced using a ray-tracing tool [10]. The pixel size in 2D-mammography was 70 μm and in both DBT systems it was 140 μm (binned before processed by image processing and reconstruction software).…”

Section: Image Simulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of microcalcification clusters by 2D-mammography and narrow and wide angle digital breast tomosynthesis

et al. 2016

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The aim of this study was to compare the detection of microcalcification clusters by human observers in breast images using 2D-mammography and narrow (15°/15 projections) and wide (50°/25 projections) angle digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). Simulated microcalcification clusters with a range of microcalcification diameters (125 μm-275 μm) were inserted into 6 cm thick simulated compressed breasts. Breast images were produced with and without inserted microcalcification clusters using a set of image modelling tools, which were developed to represent clinical imaging by mammography and tomosynthesis. Commercially available software was used for image processing and image reconstruction. The images were then used in a series of 4-alternative forced choice (4AFC) human observer experiments conducted for signal detection with the microcalcification clusters as targets. The minimum detectable calcification diameter was found for each imaging modality: (i) 2D-mammography: 164±5 μm (ii) narrow angle DBT: 210±5 μm, (iii) wide angle DBT: 255±4 μm. A statistically significant difference was found between the minimum detectable calcification diameters that can be detected by the three imaging modalities. Furthermore, it was found that there was not a statistically significant difference between the results of the five observers that participated in this study. In conclusion, this study presents a method that quantifies the threshold diameter required for microcalcification detection, using high resolution, realistic images with observers, for the comparison of DBT geometries with 2D-mammography. 2D-mammography can visualise smaller detail diameter than both DBT imaging modalities and narrow-angle DBT can visualise a smaller detail diameter than wide-angle DBT.

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Development and validation of a modelling framework for simulating 2D-mammography and breast tomosynthesis images

Cited by 48 publications

References 36 publications

Simulation of spiculated breast lesions

Simulation of spiculated breast lesions

Design and validation of realistic breast models for use in multiple alternative forced choice virtual clinical trials

Detection of microcalcification clusters by 2D-mammography and narrow and wide angle digital breast tomosynthesis

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