Refraction imaging and histologic correlation in excised tissue from a normal human lung: preliminary report.

Rationale And Objectives: The authors performed this study to evaluate the spatial resolution of refraction imaging performed with synchrotron radiation (SR) on 2-mm-thick sections of excised normal human lung.

Materials And Methods: Refraction images of specimens from a normal human lung were obtained with 19 keV, a 5-second exposure time, and a 2.4 x 2.4-cm field of view. The specimen-detector distance was 83 cm.

Results: Structures of secondary pulmonary lobule consisting of pulmonary arteriole, terminal bronchiole, air sac, and venules in the interlobular septum in normal lung were clearly illustrated on refraction images obtained with SR. The imaging findings showed good correlation with those from histologic examination. The spatial resolution of the refraction images was approximately 10-30 microm, as measured with light microscopic analysis of specimens stained with hematoxylin-eosin.

Conclusion: With refinement, this technique may have some practical purpose for diagnosing lung disease in vivo.