Grating-based phase-contrast CT (PCCT): histopathological correlation of human liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma specimen.

Grating-based PCCT provides comparable results for the characterisation of human specimen of liver cirrhosis and HCC using either a synchrotron light source or a conventional X-ray tube. Due to its high soft-tissue contrast and its applicability to conventional X-ray tubes grating-based PCCT holds potential for preclinical research and virtual histology applications.