Is the Fractal Dimension of the Contour-lines a Reliable Tool for Classification of Medical Images?

Abstract

Abstract. When two-dimensional medical images are subject to fractal analysis, one of the methods used is to detect the contour of objects in the binary images and later to estimate the fractal dimension of the extracted contour. This scalar characteristic of the medical image should help in discrimination between normal and abnormal tissues. In this paper we expose the factors that affect the reliability of such examinations and put the fractal dimension in question as a valid criterion for description, classification and recognition in medical diagnosing.

Anisotropic sol–gel transition and morphological aspects of a hierarchical network of nematic gel and a superimposed photopolymer

“…43 Owing to the complexity and the ability to characterize an image, there are reports suggesting that the D f values could sometimes be quite different depending on the software employed for the analyses. 50 In order to confirm the analyses performed using ImageJ, we utilised another open-source tool- ‘Fractalyse’ for extracting the fractal dimensionality. Not only are the D f values from both the software agree well, but features like the trend of N-P showing higher dimensionality than G-P, and values for both N-P and G-P becoming similar at high magnifications, are also confirmed, as indeed seen in Fig.…”

The Goodness-of-fit of the Fractal Dimension as a Diagnostic Factor in Breast Cancer

“…Moreover, the digital camera specifications, the quality (e.g., resolution, noise) of the acquired images, the quality of the segmentation (procedure, aiming at separating the regions of interest from the rest of the image, which depends on the thresholding method), and the software tools affect the fractal dimension values [24-26]. The existence of noise impedes the full automatization of the process because, for instance, final (binary) images may have unnecessary objects that must be removed by the user before the calculation of the fractal dimension.…”

The Application of Fractal Analysis on Thyroid Ultrasound Images

“…In the analysis of the thyroid ultrasound images data, the box counting method was performed using Fractalyse Analysis 2.4 Software. This software is an image analysis program developed by the "Mobility, city and transport" research team of the Thema Research Center in France (Hadzieva et al, 2016).…”