Three-dimensional reconstruction of microcalcification clusters from CC and MLO views

Classification of benign or malignant microcalcification clusters is a major diagnostic challenge for radiologists. Clinical studies have report that the shape of the cluster and the spatial distribution of individual microcalcifications within it are the important factors that indicate the malignancy. This work aims a novel model-based method for reconstructing microcalcification clusters in 3-D from two mammographic views such as (MLO) Medio Lateral Oblique View and (CC) Cranio Caudal view. A 3-D breast representation and a parameterised breast compression model constraints geometrically the possible 3-D positions of a calcification in a two-dimensional image. Corresponding microcalcifications in the CC and MLO views are matched using an estimate of the calcification volume. Both the geometric constraint and the matching criterion are utilized in the final reconstruction step to build the 3-D reconstructed clusters.