Evaluating the effect of image preprocessing on an information-theoretic CAD system in mammography.
OBJECTIVE
In our earlier studies, we reported an evidence-based computer-assisted decision (CAD) system for location-specific interrogation of mammograms. A content-based image retrieval framework with information theoretic (IT) similarity measures serves as the foundation for this system. Specifically, the normalized mutual information (NMI) was shown to be the most effective similarity measure for reduction of false-positive marks generated by other prescreening mass detection schemes. The objective of this work was to investigate the importance of image filtering as a possible preprocessing step in our IT-CAD system.


METHODS
Different filters were applied, each one aiming to compensate for known limitations of the NMI similarity measure. The study was based on a region-of-interest database that included true masses and false-positive regions from digitized mammograms.


RESULTS
Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) analysis showed that IT-CAD is affected slightly by image filtering. Modest, yet statistically significant, performance gain was observed with median filtering (overall ROC area index A(z) improved from 0.78 to 0.82). However, Gabor filtering improved performance for the high-sensitivity portion of the ROC curve where a typical false-positive reduction scheme should operate (partial ROC area index (0.90)A(z) improved from 0.33 to 0.37). Fusion of IT-CAD decisions from different filtering schemes markedly improved performance (A(z) = 0.90 and (0.90)A(z) = 0.55). At 95% sensitivity, the system's specificity improved by 36.6%.


CONCLUSIONS
Additional improvement in false-positive reduction can be achieved by incorporating image filtering as a preprocessing step in our IT-CAD system.
Tourassi
Georgia D
GD
Digital Advanced Imaging Laboratories, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, 2424 Erwin Road, Hock Plaza, Suite 302, Durham, NC 27710, USA. georgia.tourassi@duke.edu
Ike
Robert
R
Singh
Swatee
S
Harrawood
Brian
B
D000465:Algorithms; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D007257:Information Theory; D008327:Mammography; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods; D012372:ROC Curve; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique