Low-cost phantoms for training of stereotactic vacuum-assisted biopsy of the breast☆

Received 1 February 2009; accepted 27 March 2009. published online 20 May 2009.

Abstract

To test low-cost phantoms for training in stereotactic breast biopsy, we prepared eggplant with calcium powder; gelatin and turkey breast with coarse salt, peppercorns, and calcium powder, respectively; and short-bread pastry with salt. Three to 12 cores were harvested with an 11-gauge vacuum biopsy unit. Mammography images were taken before and after biopsy and from the biopsy cores.

The pastry phantom provided the best simulation of microcalcifications for stereotactic biopsy with realistic cores, long durability, and short preparation time.

Keywords: Breast biopsy, Phantoms, Microcalcifications

a Department of Radiology, University of Basel Hospital, Petersgraben 4, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland

b Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Tübingen, DE-72076 Tübingen, Germany

Corresponding author. Department of Radiology, University of Basel Hospital, Petersgraben 4, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland. Tel.: +41 61 32 86556; fax: +41 61 265 5471.

☆ The authors are thankful to Permi Jhooti for proofreading and language corrections.

PII: S0899-7071(09)00088-6

doi:10.1016/j.clinimag.2009.03.011

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