Nuclear texture features for classifying benign vs. dysplastic or malignant squamous epithelium of the larynx.
OBJECTIVE
To search for nuclear features and feature combinations able to assess malignancy and premalignant changes on tissue sections of laryngeal squamous epithelium.


METHODS
A total of 139 lesions of benign changes (BC) (n = 44), epithelial dysplasias (ED) (n = 50) and invasive laryngeal cancer (LC) (n = 45) were retrieved from archival pathology specimens. The goal of this study was to identify the best features or feature combinations that discriminate BC from LC and also reflect the degree of ED. In order to verify the results on independent data, the groups were split into two separate subgroups, one for training and one for testing.


RESULTS
On the test set of slides, the overall correct classification of BC vs. LC cases was 82% using only one feature, fractal2_area. This classification rate could be increased to 91% when a discriminant function based on 10 features was used. However, this gain was not significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Fractal texture features can be used to assess malignancy on tissue sections as an alternative to DNA measurement. In this study feature combinations did not significantly improve classification rates.
Dreyer
T
T
Institute of Pathology and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Langhansstrasse 10, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. thomas.dreyer@patho.med.uni-giessen.de
Knoblauch
I
I
Doudkine
A
A
MacAulay
C E
CE
Garner
D
D
Palcic
B
B
Popella
C
C
D001109:Archives; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000473:pathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
D002843:Chromatin