Computerized detection of abnormal asymmetry in digital chest radiographs

Med Phys. 1994 Nov;21(11):1761-8. doi: 10.1118/1.597216.

Abstract

A technique for automated detection of abnormal asymmetry in digital chest radiographs is being developed. Such a method could be used to prescreen chest radiographs to bring obviously abnormal cases to the immediate attention of a radiologist. In addition, this technique may be used to detect large-area abnormalities which may cause other, more lesion-specific computer algorithms to fail. Asymmetric abnormalities are detected by multiple stages of gray-level thresholding. Lung contours are determined, and after a centroid test is used to eliminate contours external to the lungs, the areas of remaining contours are calculated. The present scheme, applied to a database of 70 chest images, yielded a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 80%.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Biophysical Phenomena
  • Biophysics
  • Humans
  • Mediastinum / diagnostic imaging
  • Radiographic Image Enhancement / methods*
  • Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Radiography, Thoracic / methods*