title: JPEG 2000 compression of abdominal CT: difference in tolerance between thin- and thick-section images.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of our study was to compare the tolerance of Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) 2000 compression between thin- and thick-section abdominal CT images.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred 0.67-mm-thick and corresponding 5-mm-thick images were compressed to four different levels: reversible and irreversible 6:1, 10:1, and 15:1. Five radiologists determined if the compressed images were distinguishable from the originals. The percentage of distinguishable pairs and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) were compared between the thin and thick sections. The visually lossless threshold was estimated by comparing the percentages of the distinguishable pairs between each irreversible compression and the reversible compression. Paired Student's t tests and exact tests for paired proportions were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thin sections had smaller PSNRs at each compression level (p < 0.001). According to the pooled responses, the percentages of distinguishable pairs for the thin and thick sections, respectively, were 0% (0/100) and 0% at reversible compression, 27% and 0% at 6:1 (p < 0.001), 100% and 80% at 10:1 (p < 0.001), and 100% and 100% at 15:1. Artifacts increased significantly (p < 0.001) at 6:1 or more for the thin sections and at 10:1 and 15:1 for the thick sections, indicating that the visually lossless thresholds were below 6:1 and between 6:1 and 10:1, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thin-section abdominal CT images are less tolerant of compression, and a lower compression level should be used for the visually lossless threshold.
authors: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 300 Gumi-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Seoul 463-707, Korea.
authors: Hyoun Sik
authors: HS
authors: Woo
authors: Kil Joong
authors: KJ
authors: Kim
authors: Tae Jung
authors: TJ
authors: Kim
authors: Seokyung
authors: S
authors: Hahn
authors: Bohyoung
authors: B
authors: Kim
authors: Young Hoon
authors: YH
authors: Kim
authors: Kyoung Ho
authors: KH
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D019412:Anatomy, Cross-Sectional / Q000379:methods*; D044962:Data Compression / Q000379:methods*; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*