Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2025
Lung CT Segmentation to Identify Consolidations and Ground Glass Areas for Quantitative Assesment of SARS-CoV Pneumonia
Published on: December 19, 2020
Underestimation of lung regions on chest X-ray segmentation masks assessed by comparison with total lung volume
P Bombiński1, P Szatkowski2, B Sobieski3
1Department of Pediatric Radiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Pediatric Clinical Hospital, 63A Żwirki i Wigury St, Warsaw 02-091, Poland; upmedic, 2/11 Sądowa St, 20-027 Lublin, Poland.
Introduction:
The lung regions on chest X-ray segmentation masks created according to the current gold standard method for AI-driven applications are underestimated. This can be evaluated by comparison with computed tomography.
Methods:
This retrospective study included data from non-contrast chest low-dose CT examinations of 55 individuals without pulmonary pathology. Synthetic X-ray images were generated by projecting a 3D CT examination onto a 2D image plane. Two experienced radiologists manually created two types of lung masks: 3D lung masks from CT examinations (ground truth for further calculations) and 2D lung masks from synthetic X-ray images (according to the current gold standard method: following the contours of other anatomical structures). Overlapping and non-overlapping lung regions covered by both types of masks were analyzed. Volume of the overlapping regions was compared with total lung volume, and volume fractions of non-overlapping lung regions in relation to the total lung volume were calculated. The performance results between the two radiologists were compared.
Results:
Significant differences were observed between lung regions covered by CT and synthetic X-ray masks. The mean volume fractions of the lung regions not covered by synthetic X-ray masks for the right lung, the left lung, and both lungs were 22.8 %, 32.9 %, and 27.3 %, respectively, for Radiologist 1 and 22.7 %, 32.9 %, and 27.3 %, respectively, for Radiologist 2. There was excellent spatial agreement between the masks created by the two radiologists.
Conclusions:
Lung X-ray masks created according to the current gold standard method significantly underestimate lung regions and do not cover substantial portions of the lungs.
Implications For Practice:
Standard lung masks fail to encompass the whole range of the lungs and significantly restrict the field of analysis in AI-driven applications, which may lead to false conclusions and diagnoses.
More Related Videos
02:09Multi-modal Pulmonary Imaging: Using Complementary Information from CT and Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI to Evaluate Lung Structure-Function
Published on: April 12, 2024
09:08Author Spotlight: Standardization and Best Practices for Advancing Lung Imaging Using 129Xe MRI
Published on: November 21, 2023
Related Concept Videos
01:10Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...