Three-dimensional impedance map analysis of rabbit liver.

Three-dimensional impedance maps (3DZMs) are computational models of acoustic impedance of tissue constructed from histology images. 3DZMs can be analyzed to estimate model-based quantitative ultrasound parameters such as effective scatterer diameter (ESD). In this study, 3DZMs were constructed from normal and fatty rabbit livers. Estimates of ESD were made using the fluid-filled sphere scattering model. Weighting toward smaller scatterer sizes produced ESD estimates of 7.5  ±  1.3 and 7.0  ±  0.3 μm for normal and fatty liver, respectively, approximately the size of a liver cell nucleus. This suggests the nucleus could be a primary source of scattering in liver.