Digital slide and virtual microscopy based routine and telepathology evaluation of routine gastrointestinal biopsy specimens

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate a recently developed digital slide and virtual microscope system, and to compare this method with optical microscopy on routine gastrointestinal biopsy specimens in both local and remote access modes. Methods: A fully computer controlled commercial microscope was used. The scanning program included object detection, autofocus, and image compression algorithms. The overall hard disk space for a gastric biopsy was between 30 and 50 MB and the scanning time was between 20 and 40 minutes. Haematoxylin and eosin stained routine gastric (61) and colon (42) biopsy specimens were selected, scanned, and evaluated by two specialists on an optical (OM) and virtual microscope (VM). Results: The overall concordance of VM and OM with the consensus diagnosis was 95.1% and 97%, respectively. Clinically important concordance was 96.1% and 98% for VM and OM, respectively. The two methods showed concordance in 92% of cases and clinically important concordance in 94.1% of cases. The reasons for discordance were image quality (one case), interpretation difference (three cases), and insufficient clinical information (three cases). Remote evaluation of the digital slides through the Internet has the advantages of the previously used static and dynamic telepathology methods. Conclusions: Diagnostic concordance was found between OM and VM. The digital slide and the virtual microscope can be alternative techniques in the computerisation of the histology laboratory and in teleconsultation services after further evaluation of time and storage constraints.A s a result of the rapid developments in information technology, medical digital image analysis is becoming a widely accepted technique.

Modern Imaging Technologies in Toxicologic Pathology: An Overview

“…Similar diagnostic results were obtained with both VMR and OMR, including similar severity and incidence rates . Other studies reported in the literature have also shown high diagnostic corresponding rates for virtual microscopy and conventional microscopy readings (Steinberg and Ali, 2001;Molnar et al, 2003;Gagnon et al, 2004;Lundin et al, 2004).…”

“…With appropriate spatial and color/intensity resolutions, a digital slide could virtually represent the original glass tissue slide. Therefore, diagnosis based on the virtual slide could be acceptable (Costello et al, 2003;Molnar et al, 2003;Kumar et al, 2004;Helin et al, 2006).…”

“…7, 2006 BIOIMAGING IN TOXICOLOGIC PATHOLOGY 819 with VMR and the software. It would be anticipated that "slide read time" would decrease with more experience using VMR and, in fact, significantly higher slide reading speed was shown with virtual slides in several clinical pathology studies (Molnar et al, 2003;Weinstein et al, 2004;Burthem et al, 2005).…”

“…These specifics will need to be addressed prior to routine application of digital imaging in GLP regulated studies. Although there is a lack of standards, progress is occurring, such as recommendations on the TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) and DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) file formats for scientific/medical images, and multiple studies have shown the acceptance of the lossy image compression and JPEG image format for pathology images with certain restrictions (Okumura et al, 1997;Felten et al, 1999;Ying and Chung, 1999;Molnar et al, 2003;Rossner and O'Donnell, 2004;Tengowski, 2004;Conrath et al, 2006). We can anticipate more efforts in the near future on establishing additional recommendations and standards for pathology imaging.…”

Virtual Microscopy for Comparative Pathology

“…Some of these are completed and others are under construction (see http://www.path.uiowa.edu/ virtualslidebox/). More recently, application to service pathology has begun at a number of institutions (Molnar et al, 2003;Gagnon et al, 2004;Helin et al, 2006;Dee et al, in press).…”