Objective: Mammography, today's standard imaging approach, has deficits with respect to the superimposition of anatomical structures. Dedicated CT of the breast so far indicated that it can provide superior soft-tissue imaging, but that it still has significant limitations with respect to spatial resolution and dose. We have assessed novel dedicated breast CT technology.
Methods: Based on simulations and measurements we developed novel technology which uses direct-conversion CdTe material and photon-counting electronics with 100 μm detector element size for close to 100% dose efficiency. We assessed the potential for the imaging of microcalcifications of 100 to 200 μm diameter and soft-tissue lesions of 1 to 5 mm diameter by simulations at dose levels between 1 and 6 mGy.
Results: Microcalcifications of 150 μm and soft-tissue lesions of 2 mm diameter were found to be clearly detectable at an average glandular dose of 3 mGy. Separate displays are required for high-resolution microcalcification and for low-resolution soft-tissue analysis. Total CT data acquisition time will be below 10 s.
Conclusion: Dedicated breast CT may eventually provide comprehensive diagnostic assessment of microcalcifications and soft-tissue structures at dose levels equivalent to or below those of two-view screening mammography.