title: Malignant and benign clustered microcalcifications: automated feature analysis and classification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a method for differentiating malignant from benign clustered microcalcifications in which image features are both extracted and analyzed by a computer.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred mammograms from 53 patients who had undergone biopsy for suspicious clustered microcalcifications were analyzed by a computer. Eight computer-extracted features of clustered microcalcifications were merged by an artificial neural network. Human input was limited to initial identification of the microcalcifications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Computer analysis allowed identification of 100% of the patients with breast cancer and 82% of the patients with benign conditions. The accuracy of computer analysis was statistically significantly better than that of five radiologists (P = .03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quantitative features can be extracted and analyzed by a computer to distinguish malignant from benign clustered microcalcifications. This technique may help radiologists reduce the number of false-positive biopsy findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Wolverton
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Metz
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Giger
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Vyborny
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Doi
mesh_terms: D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D012372:ROC Curve; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity