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Polypoid lesions of airways: early experience with computer-assisted detection by using virtual bronchoscopy and
R M Summers1, W S Selbie, J D Malley
1Diagnostic Radiology Department, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Purpose:
To test the application of a technique developed by the authors for the computer-assisted diagnosis of polypoid airway lesions from surface rendered virtual bronchoscopic reconstructions.
Materials And Methods:
A computer algorithm was developed to detect polypoid airway lesions by means of segmentation of the bronchial surface with curvature classification. This method was tested with a bronchial phantom, five cadaveric lung specimens, and virtual bronchoscopic studies in 16 patients.
Results:
For the patient studies, the sensitivity and specificity of the method were 47%-88% and 58%-89%, respectively, depending on the value of an adjustable parameter (the mean curvature threshold). The sensitivity increased (by 20% to 34%) when only lesions larger than 5 mm in diameter were considered.
Conclusion:
With this method, polypoid airway lesions can be detected automatically, although false-positive diagnoses present an important limitation.