Techniques For In Vivo Tissue Characterization

Ultrasonic Tissue Characterization in Cardiology

“…The distribution of gray levels (shape of the gray level histograms) changed significantly with acute infarction. This is, in a sense, the image-based correlate of the statistical, stochastic approach utilized by Joynt et al [35,36] and Schnittger et al [34], Although these attempts to identify ischemic tissue by the overall distri bution of echo amplitudes in a region have been most promising, it is of note that the evaluation of the distri bution or histogram of intensities gives no information on the spatial distribution or pattern of echoes in a region of interest [39]. The study of the 2D pattern of echoes has been termed 'texture analysis'.…”

“…The measure these investigators have utilized is the ratio of the mean signal amplitude to the standard deviation of the ampli tude. This analysis was based upon earlier, stochastic analytic models of ultrasound image formation proposed by Joynt et al [35,36] and employed by this group.…”

“…In an initial evaluation of the efficacy of échocardiographie texture analysis, Skorton et al [27] were able to identify acutely contused canine myocardium by quantitative texture analysis. Green et al [29] used statistical analysis of radiofrequency ultrasound signals, similar to that pre viously described by Joynt et al [35,36], to differentiate intracardiac thrombi and tumor from artifact in pa tients. Shaw et al [44] used color-encoded echocardio grams to evaluate regional echo amplitude characteris tics in patients with valvular, congenital (and ischemic) heart diseases.…”