Synchrotron phase contrast micro-CT of prostate tissue

Formalin-fixed prostate tissue samples were imaged by propagation-based synchrotron phase contrast micro computed tomography ( µ CT) with a 3D spatial resolution of ca. 3 µ m. Post- µ CT, samples were prepared for histology with sections close to coplanar with the transverse µ CT image planes. Haematoxylin and eosin stained sections were examined by an expert prostate histopathologist and compared qualitatively with corresponding µ CT-visible microstructure features. There is potential for µ CT to provide complimentary information to conventional histology and light microscopy without the need for preparation of stained thin sections. For the imaging conditions and spatial resolution of our study, µ CT may provide tissue architectural features similar to those used in Gleason grading, albeit without clear subcellular microstructure detail. At the spatial resolution of our study µ CT may provide novel 3D microstructure information for validation of diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods. As an example, we demonstrate a qualitative correlation between µ CT-derived stromal fibre orientation and preferential water diffusion direction measured by diffusion tensor MRI microscopy of the same sample.