Preprocessing for improving CAD scheme performance for microcalcification detection based on mammography imaging quality parameters
Homero Schiabel, Marcelo A. C. Vieira, Liliane Ventura · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 2009
ABSTRACT Database characteristics can affect significantly the performance of a mammography CAD scheme. Hence adequate performance comparison among different CAD schemes is not suitable since a single scheme could present different results depending on the set of chosen cases. Images in database shou ld follow a set of quality criteria, since the imaging process up to digital file. CAD schemes can not be developed without a database used to test their efficacy, but each database with particular characteristics may in fluence on the processing scheme performance. A possible solution could be using information on the imaging equipment characteristics. This work describes a preprocessing in order to compensate the image degradation during the acquisition steps, assuring a better uniformity relative to the images quality. Thus, poor quality images would be restored, providing therefore some independen ce on the images source to CAD schemes and allowing to reach the better possible performance. Tests performed with mammography images sets reported a 14% increase in sensitivity for microcalcifications detection. Although this result was followed by a little increase in false positive rates, simple changes in techniques pa rameters can provide the same improvement but with a reduction of the false positive detections. Keywords: Computer-aided diagnosis in Mammography, mi crocalcifications detection, mammography images database