Classification algorithms for quantitative tissue characterization of diffuse liver disease from ultrasound images

Visual criteria for diagnosing diffused liver diseases from ultrasound images can be assisted by computerized tissue classification. Feature extraction algorithms are proposed in this paper to extract the tissue characterization parameters from liver images. The resulting parameter set is further processed to obtain the minimum number of parameters which represent the most discriminating pattern space for classification. This preprocessing step has been applied to over 120 distinct pathology-investigated cases to obtain the learning data for classification. The extracted features are divided into independent training and test sets, and are used to develop and compare both statistical and neural classifiers. The optimal criteria for these classifiers are set to have minimum classification error, ease of implementation and learning, and the flexibility for future modifications. Various algorithms of classification based on statistical and neural network methods are presented and tested. The authors show that very good diagnostic rates can be obtained using unconventional classifiers trained on actual patient data.