Automated segmentation of routinely hematoxylin-eosin-stained microscopic images by combining support vector machine clustering and active contour models.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a method for the automated segmentation of images of routinely hematoxylin-eosin (H-E)-stained microscopic sections to guarantee correct results in computer-assisted microscopy.


METHODS
Clinical material was composed 50 H-E-stained biopsies of astrocytomas and 50 H-E-stained biopsies of urinary bladder cancer. The basic idea was to use a support vector machine clustering (SVMC) algorithm to provide gross segmentation of regions holding nuclei and subsequently to refine nuclear boundary detection with active contours. The initialization coordinates of the active contour model were defined using a SVMC pixel-based classification algorithm that discriminated nuclear regions from the surrounding tissue. Starting from the boundaries of these regions, the snake fired and propagated until converging to nuclear boundaries.


RESULTS
The method was validated for 2 different types of H-E-stained images. Results were evaluated by 2 histopathologists. On average, 94% of nuclei were correctly delineated.


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed algorithm could be of value in computer-based systems for automated interpretation of microscopic images.
Glotsos
Dimitris
D
Medical Image Processing and Analysis Laboratory, Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Rio, Patras, Greece. dimglo@med.upatras.gr
Spyridonos
Panagiota
P
Cavouras
Dionisis
D
Ravazoula
Panagiota
P
Dadioti
Petroula-Arampantoni
PA
Nikiforidis
George
G
D000465:Algorithms; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000473:pathology*; D001331:Automation; D001706:Biopsy; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D006416:Hematoxylin; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D006416:Hematoxylin