A computerized system for morphometric analysis of digitized images of histologically prepared arterial cross...

A method is described for computerized, operator-assisted, morphometric measurement of histologically prepared arterial cross sections. The system is composed of an image cytometer equipped with a one power lens and a digitizing camera interfaced with an imaging board residing in a PC computer. Algorithms were developed for automated segmentation of the areas of interest. The method is rapid, objective, accurate and requires minimum operator intervention. It gives reliable and reproducible results in the measurement of all elements of the cross section including circumference, area of the media, circumference of the internal elastic lamina, area of the lumen and percent occlusion of the lumen by the intimal thickening. While manual measurements using computerized planimetric methods give similar results, this method is an order of magnitude faster (1-2 min vs. 10-20 min per cross section) thus facilitating the study of large numbers of specimens. A blinded re-measurement of 284 sections of artery for reproducibility yielded r values of 0.86-0.97.