Microcalcification Cluster SDNR in Synthesized and 2D Mammography

Abstract

This study aims at quantitative assessment of image quality of microcalcification clusters in synthesized-2-Dimensional (s2D) mammography (i.e. generated from digital breast tomosynthesis-DBT) as compared to 2-Dimensional (2D) mammography, in terms of the signal-difference-to-noise ratio (SDNR). A mammographic phantom (Leeds, TORMAM) simulating microcalcification (MC) clusters located in varying parenchyma density patterns (fatty, glandular and dense) was imaged in 2D and DBT, considering two distinct scattering conditions (phantom thickness 30 mm and 50 mm). An accurate MC cluster segmentation method was used to delineate individual MC cluster particles and define overall cluster SDNR in s2D and 2D images. Pairwise comparisons of each cluster SDNR between 2D and s2D demonstrated no statistically significant difference across the three parenchyma density patterns (p > 0.05, Mann Whitney U test), for both scattering conditions. s2D demonstrated constant performance in terms of cluster SDNR with increasing surrounding parenchyma density, while in case of 2D, cluster SDNR is decreasing with substantial parenchyma density increase.