Objective breast symmetry evaluation using 3-D surface imaging☆

Abstract This study develops an objective breast symmetry evaluation using 3-D surface imaging (Konica-Minolta V910 ® scanner) by superimposing the mirrored left breast over the right and objectively determining the mean 3-D contour difference between the 2 breast surfaces. 3 observers analyzed the evaluation protocol precision using 2 dummy models ( n  = 60), 10 test subjects ( n  = 300), clinically tested it on 30 patients ( n  = 900) and compared it to established 2-D measurements on 23 breast reconstructive patients using the BCCT.core software ( n  = 690). Mean 3-D evaluation precision, expressed as the coefficient of variation (VC), was 3.54 ± 0.18 for all human subjects without significant intra- and inter-observer differences ( p  > 0.05). The 3-D breast symmetry evaluation is observer independent, significantly more precise ( p