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Technique to obtain positron emission mammography images in registration with x‐ray mammograms
Author(s) -
Bergman Alanah M.,
Thompson Christopher J.,
Murthy Kavita,
Robar James L.,
Clancy Raymond L.,
English Michael J.,
Loutfi Antoine,
Lisbona Robert,
Gag Jean
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 2473-4209
pISSN - 0094-2405
DOI - 10.1118/1.598408
Subject(s) - mammography , detector , positron emission tomography , artificial intelligence , image registration , nuclear medicine , computer science , frame (networking) , computer vision , breast imaging , physics , medicine , optics , image (mathematics) , breast cancer , telecommunications , cancer
X‐ray mammograms reveal abnormal tissue densities, while metabolic images identify regions of abnormal metabolism. Conventional nuclear medicine and radiologic breast images must be acquired at different times with different patient positions making coregistration difficult. Accurate coregistration of metabolic and x‐ray images of the breast is likely to be important when acquiring information about the location and diagnosis of suspicious lesions or tumors. Our PEM‐1 (positron emission mammography) system detects metabolic activity within the breast. The two planar detectors are integrated into a conventional x‐ray mammography unit. This arrangement simplifies the image registration process by allowing a breast metabolic image to be acquired immediately after performing an x‐ray mammogram. The patient is not moved between procedures. A coregistration tool has also been developed. A thin plastic sheet with a wire frame protrudes from the side of the upper PEM detector. With the tool positioned over the suspicious area of the breast, a magnified film density image is made using the available x‐ray equipment. A radio‐opaque rectangular outline of the wire frame is visible on the film image. During a positron emission metabolic scan, detectors acquire a 49 × 59 mm 2image of the same region. The PEM detectors can be positioned anywhere along the width of the breast. This provides an image of a particular region of interest. Several contiguous images may be combined to provide a complete scan.