Interferometer-based phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography of colon cancer specimens: comparative study with 4.74-T magnetic resonance imaging and optical microscopy

OBJECTIVE: Phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography (PCCT) with an interferometer can reveal the inner soft tissue structures of biological objects without contrast agent, and the image quality is thought to resemble that of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Comparative study among PCCT, MRI, and optical microscopy was undertaken. METHODS: Three formalin-fixed colon cancer specimens from nude mice were imaged both by PCCT with a reconstructed volumetric resolution of (0.018)3 mm3 and 4.74-T MRI with that of (0.075)3 mm3. RESULTS: Phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography with an interferometer clearly demonstrated the inner structures of colon cancer masses, such as cancer, necrosis, surrounding tumor vessels, and skin, in a similar way to low-magnified optical microscopic images and had approximately 4.0-fold higher signal-to-noise ratio than MRI. CONCLUSIONS: With formalin-fixed biological samples, PCCT exhibited higher image quality than MRI and was thought to be suitable for detailed imaging of soft tissue with high volumetric resolution.