A new study published in the prestigious journal IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging (Impact Factor 12.4, top 3% in the medical imaging and computer science field) demonstrates the potential of an innovative spectral virtual histology system applied to surgical thyroid specimens.
The research, carried out at the PEPI Lab of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) in Trieste, combines for the first time spectral X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and phase-contrast imaging techniques, enabling the production of three-dimensional maps of iodine distribution in thyroid tissue at a spatial resolution on the order of ten microns, together with detailed visualization of soft tissue capable of distinguishing healthy from pathological areas.
The accuracy of the laboratory-based measurements was verified through direct comparison with images acquired using synchrotron radiation at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, confirming the reliability of the developed system.
This technique has the potential to complement conventional histology — which relies on microscopic examination of two-dimensional tissue sections — by providing precise quantification of iodine, a key biomarker in thyroid physiology and pathology, together with a complete three-dimensional visualization of the sample, without the need for destructive sectioning.
