MAPPING OF BREAST ARTERIAL CALCIFICATIONS

摘要

A method includes receiving an image from a mammogram, removing noise from the image, computing a point of interest on the de-noised image, creating a mesoscale region of interest on the de-noised image, computing a connectivity for the mesoscale region of interest, identifying a connected component using the computed connectivity, where the connected component represents a branch of a global curvilinear structure, selecting a set of branches based on a physical property for each branch of the global curvilinear structure, pruning each branch based on an error-tolerant, adaptive polynomial fit, identifying remaining regions of interest in each pruned branch, and growing a chain formed by remaining points of interest included in the remaining regions of interest, where the chain represents a macroscopic, global curvilinear calcified arterial structure. The quantitation of the calcified arterial structures may be used as a biomarker for risk stratification of heart disease.