Diffraction enhanced breast imaging through Monte Carlo simulations

In this work, the potential use of diffraction effects from elastic scattering for breast imaging through Monte Carlo (MC) simulations was studied. The geometrical model of the compressed breast consisted of a semi-infinite layer, composed of a mixture of adipose and glandular tissue, with five spherical objects within it, simulating different tissue compositions. A pencil beam scanned the breast surface, impinging normally on it. Two receptors were placed under the breast: the first one detected primary photons, while the other detected the scattered photons. Two images of the breast were then obtained, a primary and a scatter image. Results showed that the scatter image provided values of contrast greater than that of primary image, with the possibility to enhance the contribution of a specific breast tissue to image formation. Nevertheless, scatter images also show considerably higher noise. The results obtained indicate that elastic scattering has a great potential to aid in the enhancement of the mammographic image. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.