Computerized analysis of interstitial infiltrates on chest radiographs: a new scheme based on geometric pattern features and Fourier analysis.
OBJECTIVE
Detection of interstitial infiltrates on chest radiographs is difficult and subjective. Therefore, we developed a computerized method to provide quantitative analysis of lung texture to increase diagnostic accuracy.


METHODS
Two hundred chest radiographs--100 healthy and 100 abnormal with interstitial infiltrates--were digitized using a laser scanner. They were analyzed by an automated computerized scheme that uses a combination of two methods for detection of interstitial infiltrates: a lung texture analysis based on the Fourier transform and a geometric pattern feature analysis based on filtering techniques.


RESULTS
The overall sensitivity and specificity of the computerized scheme were 92% and 90%, respectively. The scheme achieved a sensitivity of 80% in subtle cases (n = 15) and 88% in cases with localized interstitial disease (n = 26), whereas the specificity remained unchanged. There was good correlation between the computer output and the radiologists' severity rating.


CONCLUSIONS
This enhanced computerized scheme exhibits high sensitivity and specificity with a large database.
Monnier-Cholley
L
L
Service de Radiologie, Hopital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France.
MacMahon
H
H
Katsuragawa
S
S
Morishita
J
J
Doi
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity