Fractal analysis of mammographic lesions: a feasibility study quantifying the difference between benign and malignant masses

The American Journal of the Medical Sciences
V Velanovich

Abstract

The increased use of screening mammography has led to increased pressure to differentiate between benign and malignant lesions. Even those lesions considered "suspicious" by qualitative radiologists' interpretations may prove malignant in less than 30% of cases. Fractal analysis is a mathematical technique that quantifies complex shapes. The hypothesis tested is that fractal analysis can quantify the difference between the shapes of benign and malignant lesions as imaged by mammography. Ten mammograms from patients with biopsy-proven invasive ductal carcinoma and 10 mammograms from patients with biopsy-proven benign disease were compared using the box-counting technique of fractal analysis. The fractal dimension of the mediolateral and craniocaudal views were added together to derive the composite fractal dimension. Statistical analysis was done using the Mann-Whitney U test. The median composite fractal dimension for benign lesions was 1.831 (range 1.359-2.009) and for malignant lesions 2.477 (range 2.084-3.158) (P < 0.0001). In addition, all benign lesions had fractal dimensions < or = 2.009, and all malignant lesions had fractal dimensions > or = 2.084. In this sample of 10 mammograms of malignant lesions versus 10 mammogram...Continue Reading

References

Dec 7, 1991·Lancet
Dec 6, 1985·Science·M Lewis, D C Rees

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Citations

Oct 17, 1998·Breast Cancer Research and Treatment·V Velanovich
Feb 28, 2002·The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences·Lewis A Lipsitz
Mar 31, 2011·Implant Dentistry·G IezziV Perrotti
May 30, 2002·Medical Physics·John J Heine, Robert P Velthuizen
May 26, 2011·Biomedical Imaging and Intervention Journal·G Dougherty
Dec 10, 1999·Medical Physics·J J HeineL P Clarke
Aug 19, 2007·Oral Oncology·L GoutzanisC Alexandridis

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