Ultrasonographic texture characterization of salivary and neck masses using two-dimensional gray-scale clustering.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical usefulness of texture analysis in ultrasonography (US) of head and neck masses.


METHODS
Sixty-one cases with salivary or neck masses were examined by US with a linear 7.5MHz array. Images were digitized and quantitatively evaluated by two-dimensional gray-scale clustering using two texture indices, M and SD, as measures of coarseness and homogeneity respectively.


RESULTS
Coarseness of Warthin's tumors was significantly higher than that of the other salivary tumors. Malignant lymphomas had finer texture values than other lymph node lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
Quantitative texture analysis appears to be a useful complement in diagnostic US.
Yoshiura
K
K
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Kyushu University, Japan.
Miwa
K
K
Yuasa
K
K
Tokumori
K
K
Kanda
S
S
Higuchi
Y
Y
Shinohara
M
M
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008838:Microcomputers; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods