Analytic modeling of breast elastography

Med Phys. 2003 Sep;30(9):2340-9. doi: 10.1118/1.1599953.

Abstract

The elastic moduli of tumors change during their pathological evolution. Elastographic imaging has potential for detecting and characterizing cancers by mapping the stiffness distribution in tissues. In this paper a micromechanics-based analytical method was developed to detect the location, size, and elastic modulus of a tumor mass embedded in a symmetric two-dimensional breast tissue. A closed-form solution for the strain elastograms (forward problem) was derived. A computational algorithm for the inverse problem was developed for the detection, localization, and characterization of a heterogeneous mass embedded in a breast tissue. Numerical examples were presented to evaluate the proposed method's performance. The detectability of a tumor mass was estimated with respect to lesion location, size, and modulus contrast ratio. It was shown that the micromechanics theory provides a powerful tool for the diagnosis of breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Absorptiometry, Photon / methods
  • Algorithms*
  • Breast / physiopathology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / classification
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Breast Neoplasms / physiopathology*
  • Computer Simulation
  • Elasticity
  • Finite Element Analysis
  • Humans
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Models, Biological*
  • Pattern Recognition, Automated*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Stress, Mechanical
  • Ultrasonography / methods