Fig. 2.

Dark-field mammography reveals pervasion of breast with partially tumorous soft-tissue strands. Clinical ex vivo mammography in craniocaudal (cc) projection at 29 kVp, 120 mAs and 1.22 mGy average glandular dose (rhodium filter) (a), experimental absorption-contrast mammography (b), phase-contrast mammography (c) and dark-field mammography (d) at 40 kVp, 70 mA and 66 mGy mean glandular dose (per scan direction); in vivo mammography in cc projection at 29 kVp, 105 mAs and1.27 mGy average glandular dose (rhodium filter) (e) of patient 2 in craniocaudal projection; blue rectangles in a and e indicate the trifocal carcinoma; white rectangles in a–e indicate partially infiltrated tissue strands emerging from the tumour; exemplary histological image (haematoxylin–eosin staining) of partially tumour-infiltrated tissue strands (f) and (g) indicated by arrows. The arrows in b–d indicate one-directional measurements