In vivo studies of low absorbing and scattering heterogeneity in breast imaging based on higher-order diffusion equations

We report on both absorption and scattering images of in vivo human breast with a cyst using our third-order diffusion equations based reconstruction algorithm. To validate these in vivo images a series of low absorbing and scattering heterogeneity phantom experiments are conducted, in which we use one target consisting of distill water or mixer of water and very diluted Intralipid (0.05% and 0.1%) to mimic cyst regions. Scattering and absorption images of the female volunteer with a 2-cm cyst show a marked localized decrease in both scattering and absorption coefficients in the lesion.