Segmentation of elastic fibres in images of vessel wall sections stained with Weigert's resorcin-fuchsin.
OBJECTIVE
The elastic fibres are an essential component of the extracellular matrix in blood vessel walls that allows a long-range of deformability and passive recoil without energy input. The quantitative determination of elastic fibres will provide information on the state of the vascular wall and to determine the role and behaviour of this key structural element in different physiological and pathological vascular processes.


METHODS
We present a segmentation method to identify and quantify elastic fibres based on a local threshold technique and some morphological characteristics measured on the segmented objects that facilitate the discrimination between elastic fibres and other image components. The morphological characteristics analysed are the thickness and the length of an object.


RESULTS
The segmentation method was evaluated using an image database of vein sections stained with Weigert's resorcin-fuchsin. The performance results are based on a ground truth generated manually resulting in values of sensitivity greater than 80% with the exception in two samples, and specificity values above 90% for all samples. Medical specialists carried out a visual evaluation where the observations indicate a general agreement on the segmentation results' visual quality, and the consistency between the methodology proposed and the subjective observation of the doctors for the evaluation of pathological changes in vessel wall.


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed methodology provides more objective measurements than the qualitative methods traditionally used in the histological analysis, with a significant potential for this method to be used as a diagnostic aid for many other vascular pathological conditions and in similar tissues such as skin and mucous membranes.
IUMA Information and Communication Systems, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Campus Universitario de Tafira, 35017 - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; Department of Telematic Engineering, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Campus Universitario de Tafira, 35017 - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Electronic address: pablo.hernandez@ulpgc.es.
Pablo
P
Hernández-Morera
Institute for Technological Development and Innovation in Communications, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Campus Universitario de Tafira, 35017 - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
Carlos M
CM
Travieso-González
Department of Dermatology, Doctor Negrin University Hospital of Gran Canaria, Barranco de la Ballena, 35010 - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
Irene
I
Castaño-González
Department of Morphology, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Campus de San Cristobal, 35016 - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
Blanca
B
Mompeó-Corredera
Department of Morphology, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Campus de San Cristobal, 35016 - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; CLINIVAR, Varicose Vein Clinic, C/ Alonso Quintero 39, 35001 - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
Francisco
F
Ortega-Santana
D000465:Algorithms; D002102:Cadaver; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006653:Histology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010968:Plasticizers / Q000737:chemistry; D012118:Resorcinols / Q000737:chemistry; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000473:pathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D020058:Styrene / Q000737:chemistry; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014992:Xylenes / Q000737:chemistry
D010968:Plasticizers; D012118:Resorcinols; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D014992:Xylenes; D020058:Styrene; C031389:resorcinol
Elastic fibres; Histopathology; Image analysis; Local threshold; Segmentation; Thickness calculation