TY - JOUR
T1 - Improving image quality around subtle lung nodules by reducing artifacts in similar subtraction imaging
AU - Nakamura, Hitomi
AU - Morishita, Junji
AU - Shimizu, Yoichiro
AU - Yoon, Yongsu
AU - Matsunobu, Yusuke
AU - Katsuragawa, Shigehiko
AU - Yabuuchi, Hidetake
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Keishin Kawamoto, M.Sc., R.T., Shun Tsubaki, M.Sc., R.T., Yusuke Kawazoe, B.Sc., R.T., and Yayoi Sakata, B.Sc, R.T. from the Morishita laboratory for their valuable contribution to discussion. All authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, Japanese Society of Radiological Technology and Japan Society of Medical Physics.
PY - 2018/12/1
Y1 - 2018/12/1
N2 - Similar subtraction imaging is useful for the detection of lung nodules; however, some artifacts on similar subtraction images reduce their utility. The authors attempted to improve the image quality of similar subtraction images by reducing artifacts caused by differences in image contrast and sharpness between two images used for similar subtraction imaging. Image contrast was adjusted using the histogram specification technique. The differences in image sharpness were compensated for using a pixel matching technique. The improvement in image quality was evaluated objectively based on the degree of artifacts and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the lung nodules. The artifacts in similar subtraction images were reduced in 94% (17/18) of cases, and CNR was improved in 83% (15/18) of cases. The results indicate that the combination of histogram specification and pixel matching techniques is potentially useful in improving image quality in similar subtraction imaging.
AB - Similar subtraction imaging is useful for the detection of lung nodules; however, some artifacts on similar subtraction images reduce their utility. The authors attempted to improve the image quality of similar subtraction images by reducing artifacts caused by differences in image contrast and sharpness between two images used for similar subtraction imaging. Image contrast was adjusted using the histogram specification technique. The differences in image sharpness were compensated for using a pixel matching technique. The improvement in image quality was evaluated objectively based on the degree of artifacts and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the lung nodules. The artifacts in similar subtraction images were reduced in 94% (17/18) of cases, and CNR was improved in 83% (15/18) of cases. The results indicate that the combination of histogram specification and pixel matching techniques is potentially useful in improving image quality in similar subtraction imaging.
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U2 - 10.1007/s12194-018-0474-1
DO - 10.1007/s12194-018-0474-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 30187317
AN - SCOPUS:85052965593
SN - 1865-0333
VL - 11
SP - 460
EP - 466
JO - Radiological physics and technology
JF - Radiological physics and technology
IS - 4
ER -