Myocardial tissue characterization by autocorrelation of two-dimensional ultrasonic backscatter.
To evaluate a novel method for determining the spatial distribution of echocardiographic information based on the two-dimensional autocorrelation function, echocardiographic images were obtained from specific regions of interest from 10 healthy volunteers, seven patients with genetically defined hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and nine patients with pressure-overload hypertrophy. The wavelength of distinct peaks from the two-dimensional autocorrelation of the images was compared between groups of patients and demonstrated a significant decrease in the mean length scale associated with distinct secondary correlation peaks in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or pressure-overload hypertrophy compared with healthy volunteers (p = 0.0009). With a discriminating wavelength of 3.3 mm, the sensitivity of this technique for detecting abnormal myocardium was 84% with a specificity of 89%. This study suggests that ultrasonic tissue characterization based on the two-dimensional autocorrelation function may have potential for distinguishing normal from abnormal myocardium and provides a rationale for textural approaches to ultrasonic tissue characterization.
Solomon
S D
SD
Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
Kytömaa
H
H
Celi
A C
AC
Maas
L C
LC
Chou
L
L
Hopkins
J
J
Caguioa
E
E
Lee
R T
RT
D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics; D004452:Echocardiography; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D009154:Mutation; D009218:Myosins / Q000235:genetics; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014743:Videotape Recording
D009218:Myosins