title: Application of confocal scanning laser microscopy for an automated nuclear grading of prostate lesions in three dimensions.
abstract: Confocal scanning laser microscopy provides the opportunity to obtain three-dimensional (3-D) images by piling up consecutive confocal planes. This technique was applied to capture 3-D images from 100-microns-thick tissue blocks from prostate lesions (hyperplasia, dysplasia, adenocarcinomas). Automated methods were implemented to perform a nuclear grading of 3-D cell nuclei from these specimens. Special attention was focused on the development of a new approach to 3-D chromatin texture analysis. This method uses mathematical morphology operations to tessellate the chromatin into homogeneous domains. The nuclear features (volume, shape, texture) were subjected to a discriminant analysis. Using a set of five features, the classification of cell nuclei yielded an accuracy of 96.3%. The results indicate the potential of 3-D imaging and analysis techniques for an automated nuclear grading of prostate lesions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Image Analysis in Cell Pathology, Hospital St. Louis, University Paris VII, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beil
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Irinopoulou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vassy
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rigaut
mesh_terms: D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D002843:Chromatin / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D011467:Prostate / Q000002:abnormalities*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000473:pathology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin