Segmentation of the Breast Skin and Its Influence in the Simulation of the Breast Compression during an X-Ray Mammography

• Published in: TheScientificWorld Vol. 2012; no. 2012; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Solves Llorens, J. A., Rupérez, M. J., Monserrat, C., Feliu, E., García, M., Lloret, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Puplishing Corporation 01.01.2012; The Scientific World Journal; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Algorithms; Biomechanics; Breast; Breast - physiology; Breast cancer; Compression; Computer Simulation; Elastic Modulus; Health physics; Humans; Mammography; Mammography - methods; Mechanical properties; Methods; Models, Biological; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Palpation; Physics; R&D; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods; Radiology; Reproducibility of Results; Research & development; Research methodology; Segmentation; Sensitivity and Specificity; Simulation; Skin; Skin - diagnostic imaging; Skin Physiological Phenomena; Studies; Two dimensional models
• ISSN: 2356-6140; 1537-744X; 1537-744X
• DOI: 10.1100/2012/876489

A novel method of skin segmentation is presented aimed to obtain as many pixels belonging to the real skin as possible. This method is validated by experts in radiology. In addition, a biomechanical model of the breast, which considers the skin segmented in this way, is constructed to study the influence of considering real skin in the simulation of the breast compression during an X-ray mammography. The reaction forces of the plates are obtained and compared with the reaction forces obtained using classical methods that model the skin as a 2D membranes that cover all the breast. The results of this work show that, in most of the cases, the method of skin segmentation is accurate and that real skin should be considered in the simulation of the breast compression during the X-ray mammographies.