title: Quantitative comparison and evaluation of software packages for assessment of abdominal adipose tissue distribution by magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine five available software packages for the assessment of abdominal adipose tissue with magnetic resonance imaging, compare their features and assess the reliability of measurement results.
  
  
  METHODS
  Feature evaluation and test-retest reliability of softwares (NIHImage, SliceOmatic, Analyze, HippoFat and EasyVision) used in manual, semi-automated or automated segmentation of abdominal adipose tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 15 obese adults with type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Axial T1-weighted spin echo images centered at vertebral bodies of L2-L3 were acquired at 1.5 T. Five software packages were evaluated (NIHImage, SliceOmatic, Analyze, HippoFat and EasyVision), comparing manual, semi-automated and automated segmentation approaches. Images were segmented into cross-sectional area (CSA), and the areas of visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Ease of learning and use and the design of the graphical user interface (GUI) were rated. Intra-observer accuracy and agreement between the software packages were calculated using intra-class correlation. Intra-class correlation coefficient was used to obtain test-retest reliability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three of the five evaluated programs offered a semi-automated technique to segment the images based on histogram values or a user-defined threshold. One software package allowed manual delineation only. One fully automated program demonstrated the drawbacks of uncritical automated processing. The semi-automated approaches reduced variability and measurement error, and improved reproducibility. There was no significant difference in the intra-observer agreement in SAT and CSA. The VAT measurements showed significantly lower test-retest reliability. There were some differences between the software packages in qualitative aspects, such as user friendliness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Four out of five packages provided essentially the same results with respect to the inter- and intra-rater reproducibility. Our results using SliceOmatic, Analyze or NIHImage were comparable and could be used interchangeably. Newly developed fully automated approaches should be compared to one of the examined software packages.
authors: Russel H Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. shemker2@jhmi.edu
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Bonekamp
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Ghosh
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Crawford
authors: S F
authors: SF
authors: Solga
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Horska
authors: F L
authors: FL
authors: Brancati
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Diehl
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Smith
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Clark
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012986:Software Validation
references: Control Clin Trials. 2003 Oct;24(5):610-28
references: 14500058
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jun;81(6):1330-4
references: 15941883
references: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999 Jan;84(1):137-44
references: 9920074
references: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1997 Dec;21(12):1121-9
references: 9426379
references: Magn Reson Imaging. 1984;2(3):187-92
references: 6530925
references: Hypertension. 2004 Aug;44(2):127-33
references: 15262911
references: Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Dec;283(6):E1135-43
references: 12424102
references: Diabetologia. 2005 Oct;48(10):2090-6
references: 16086140
references: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1999 Oct;23(10):1035-46
references: 10557024
references: MAGMA. 2005 Jul;18(3):128-37
references: 16001284
references: Magn Reson Imaging. 1998;16(1):45-53
references: 9436946
references: J Appl Physiol (1985). 2004 Sep;97(3):948-54
references: 15121737
references: J Magn Reson Imaging. 2004 Oct;20(4):684-9
references: 15390229
references: Br J Nutr. 1979 Sep;42(2):173-83
references: 476035
references: Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 1996 Jun;74(6):778-85
references: 8909791
references: Int J Obes. 1991 Sep;15(9):589-99
references: 1960010
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 1994 Oct;60(4):586-91
references: 8092095
references: Obes Res. 2004 May;12(5):789-98
references: 15166299
references: Metabolism. 2001 Aug;50(8):976-82
references: 11474488
references: Metabolism. 1995 Dec;44(12):1617-25
references: 8786733
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Feb;65(2):403-8
references: 9022523
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Oct;54(4):623-7
references: 1897468
references: Diabetes Obes Metab. 2003 Mar;5(2):99-105
references: 12630934
references: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1997 Dec;21(12):1161-6
references: 9426384
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 1994 Nov;60(5):695-703
references: 7942575
references: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000 Jan;24(1):60-9
references: 10702752
references: Radiat Med. 1998 Mar-Apr;16(2):99-107
references: 9650896
references: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1998 Apr;83(4):1306-11
references: 9543160
references: Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2005;7:7012-5
references: 17281889
references: Metabolism. 2001 Apr;50(4):425-35
references: 11288037
references: Obes Res. 2001 Jan;9(1):10-6
references: 11346662
references: J Magn Reson Imaging. 2005 Mar;21(3):263-71
references: 15723372
references: MAGMA. 2002 Mar;14(1):39-44
references: 11796251
references: Gut. 2005 Jan;54(1):122-7
references: 15591516
references: J Appl Physiol (1985). 1996 Dec;81(6):2445-55
references: 9018491
references: Int J Obes (Lond). 2006 May;30(5):844-52
references: 16418756
references: J Magn Reson Imaging. 2005 Apr;21(4):455-62
references: 15778954
references: J Lipid Res. 1994 Aug;35(8):1490-6
references: 7989873
references: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003 Feb;27(2):211-8
references: 12587001
references: Metabolism. 1995 Mar;44(3):369-73
references: 7885283
references: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000 May;24(5):607-13
references: 10849583
references: Diabetes Care. 2004 Nov;27(11):2726-9
references: 15505012
references: Med Clin (Barc). 2001 Oct 6;117(10):366-9
references: 11602154
references: Magn Reson Imaging. 2003 Jul;21(6):631-6
references: 12915194
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 1990 Jun;51(6):1106-12
references: 2349926
references: Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2004 Feb;63(2):77-85
references: 14739047
references: Diabetes Care. 2006 Mar;29(3):679-84
references: 16505526
references: Br J Nutr. 1974 Jul;32(1):77-97
references: 4843734
references: Diabetes Technol Ther. 2004 Dec;6(6):844-9
references: 15684638
references: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2003 Apr;180(4):993-8
references: 12646443
references: J Appl Physiol (1985). 1985 May;58(5):1565-71
references: 3997721
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 1993 Dec;58(6):830-8
references: 8249863
references: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Jul;87(7):3023-8
references: 12107194
references: Physiol Res. 2004;53(2):229-34
references: 15046562
references: Metabolism. 2003 Feb;52(2):186-91
references: 12601630
references: Diabetes Obes Metab. 2003 May;5(3):202-6
references: 12681028
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Aug;80(2):271-8
references: 15277145
references: Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2001 Apr;21(4):567-72
references: 11304474
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 1992 Jul;56(1):7-13
references: 1609764
references: Eur J Med Res. 2002 Aug 30;7(8):347-52
references: 12204842
references: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2005 Aug;185(2):418-23
references: 16037514
references: Magn Reson Imaging. 2000 Sep;18(7):815-8
references: 11027874
references: J Appl Physiol (1985). 1991 May;70(5):2164-72
references: 1864799
references: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2000 May;904:12-7
references: 10865704
references: NMR Biomed. 1996 Jun;9(4):156-64
references: 9015802
references: Gut. 2005 Feb;54(2):303-6
references: 15647199
references: Metabolism. 2004 Aug;53(8):1066-71
references: 15281020