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Application of artificial neural network algorithm to detection of parathyroid adenoma
open access
Abstract
Material and methods methods: The applied algorithm was based on simultaneous data processing in sets of 3 single pixels, each of them belonging to one of the three consecutive neck scintigrams generated 20 min. after 99mTcO4 - administration, 10 min. after 99mTc-MIBI injection and 120 min. after 99mTc-MIBI injection, respectively. Those scintigrams were aligned which each other according to the same vertical and horizontal co-ordinates. The training patterns were obtained from 25 patients by searching for maximum count numbers within small ROIs drawn in selected scintigraphic areas, arbitrarily classified and coded in a numerical scale. In 10 pts the results of ANN simulation were compared with those obtained by common conventional assessment of two radionuclide parathyroid examinations: subtraction method and 99mTc-MIBI double-phase imaging.
Results: The training patterns processed by the neural network showed a close relationship with the results of visual assessment of original neck scintigrams, with R square coefficient R2 = 0.717, and standard error equal to 0.243. Similar comparison between original data and results of multidimensional regression analysis yielded weaker relationship, with R2 = 0.543 and standard error 0.567. Parametric images obtained by the neural network presented regions with homogeneously distributed, relatively high activity, greater than or equal to 750 cts/pixel, visualized in areas of confirmed abnormal parathyroid location. In all 10 patients with suspected parathyroid adenoma results obtained by ANN simulation agreed with those by conventional methods. In five of these cases no parathyroid abnormalities were found. In the remaining 5 subjects results of both approaches were positive but the abnormalities were depicted more distinctly and visualised more clearly in parametric images received by ANN than in original scans.
Conclusions: Application of trained ANN enables objective and quantitative detection and localisation of parathyroid adenoma and is a good alternative for conventional radionuclide imaging procedures used in diagnosing parathyroid abnormality. Including in neural network simulation not only scintigraphic data, but also clinical symptoms and/or some other indicators of parathyroid abnormality, parathormone level first of all, should be a next step in developing a procedure for assessing parathyroid abnormality, of high diagnostic accuracy.
Abstract
Material and methods methods: The applied algorithm was based on simultaneous data processing in sets of 3 single pixels, each of them belonging to one of the three consecutive neck scintigrams generated 20 min. after 99mTcO4 - administration, 10 min. after 99mTc-MIBI injection and 120 min. after 99mTc-MIBI injection, respectively. Those scintigrams were aligned which each other according to the same vertical and horizontal co-ordinates. The training patterns were obtained from 25 patients by searching for maximum count numbers within small ROIs drawn in selected scintigraphic areas, arbitrarily classified and coded in a numerical scale. In 10 pts the results of ANN simulation were compared with those obtained by common conventional assessment of two radionuclide parathyroid examinations: subtraction method and 99mTc-MIBI double-phase imaging.
Results: The training patterns processed by the neural network showed a close relationship with the results of visual assessment of original neck scintigrams, with R square coefficient R2 = 0.717, and standard error equal to 0.243. Similar comparison between original data and results of multidimensional regression analysis yielded weaker relationship, with R2 = 0.543 and standard error 0.567. Parametric images obtained by the neural network presented regions with homogeneously distributed, relatively high activity, greater than or equal to 750 cts/pixel, visualized in areas of confirmed abnormal parathyroid location. In all 10 patients with suspected parathyroid adenoma results obtained by ANN simulation agreed with those by conventional methods. In five of these cases no parathyroid abnormalities were found. In the remaining 5 subjects results of both approaches were positive but the abnormalities were depicted more distinctly and visualised more clearly in parametric images received by ANN than in original scans.
Conclusions: Application of trained ANN enables objective and quantitative detection and localisation of parathyroid adenoma and is a good alternative for conventional radionuclide imaging procedures used in diagnosing parathyroid abnormality. Including in neural network simulation not only scintigraphic data, but also clinical symptoms and/or some other indicators of parathyroid abnormality, parathormone level first of all, should be a next step in developing a procedure for assessing parathyroid abnormality, of high diagnostic accuracy.
Keywords
parathyroid adenoma; artificial neural networks; parametric image
Title
Application of artificial neural network algorithm to detection of parathyroid adenoma
Journal
Issue
Pages
111-117
Published online
2003-10-10
Page views
676
Article views/downloads
1192
Bibliographic record
Nucl. Med. Rev 2003;6(2):111-117.
Keywords
parathyroid adenoma
artificial neural networks
parametric image
Authors
Bogusław Stefaniak
Witold Cholewiński
Anna Tarkowska