QT Imaging Holdings, 3 Hamilton Landing, Ste 160, Novato, CA 94949, USA.
Dr. Susan Love (Deceased) Fund for Breast Cancer Research, Tower Foundation, c/o C. C. Conway, 8767 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 401, Beverly Hills, CA 90211, USA.
Tomography. 2024 May 19;10(5):789-805. doi: 10.3390/tomography10050060.
The aim of this study was to show for the first time that low-frequency 3D-transmitted ultrasound tomography (3D UT, volography) can differentiate breast tissue types using tissue properties, accurately measure glandular and ductal volumes in vivo, and measure variation over time. Data were collected for 400 QT breast scans on 24 women (ages 18-71), including four (4) postmenopausal subjects, 6-10 times over 2+ months of observation. The date of onset of menopause was noted, and the cases were further subdivided into three (3) classes: pre-, post-, and peri-menopausal. The ducts and glands were segmented using breast speed of sound, attenuation, and reflectivity images and followed over several menstrual cycles. The coefficient of variation (CoV) for in premenopausal women was significantly larger than for postmenopausal women, whereas this is not true for the CoV. The glandular standard deviation (SD) is significantly larger in premenopausal women vs. postmenopausal women, whereas this is not true for ductal tissue. We conclude that ducts do not appreciably change over the menstrual cycle in either pre- or post-menopausal subjects, whereas glands change significantly over the cycle in pre-menopausal women, and 3D UT can differentiate ducts from glands in vivo.
本研究旨在首次表明低频三维透射超声断层成像(3D UT,体绘制)可利用组织特性区分乳腺组织类型,准确测量体内乳腺导管和腺体的体积,并测量随时间的变化。对 24 名女性(年龄 18-71 岁)的 400 次 QT 乳腺扫描进行了数据采集,其中包括 4 名绝经后女性,在 2 个多月的观察期内进行了 6-10 次扫描。记录了绝经的开始日期,并将病例进一步分为三组:绝经前、绝经后和围绝经期。使用乳腺声速、衰减和反射率图像对导管和腺体进行分割,并在几个月经周期内进行跟踪。绝经前女性的 变异系数(CoV)显著大于绝经后女性,而 CoV 则不然。绝经前女性的腺体标准差(SD)显著大于绝经后女性,而导管组织则不然。我们得出结论,在绝经前或绝经后女性中,导管在月经周期内没有明显变化,而腺体在绝经前女性的周期中变化显著,并且 3D UT 可以在体内区分导管和腺体。