OBJECTIVE: To develop a method for the acquisition and processing of 3-dimensional images based on confocal laser scanning microscopy for the purpose of 3-dimensional visualization and quantitative analysis of cell nuclei. STUDY DESIGN: A contour-based surface rendering method was used, and volume rendering was implemented according to the basic volume rendering pipeline. To extract quantitative features, a 3-dimensional labeling method based on slice information was used. After applying the labeling algorithm, the measurements for 3-dimensional quantitative analysis of nuclei were extracted: nuclear volume, surface area and spherical shape factor. We compared the 3-dimensional features of normal and abnormal cervical cell nuclei. RESULTS: Comparison of the size of 3-dimensional cervical cell nuclei between normal and abnormal revealed a statistically significant difference. The proposed method could overcome the limitation inherent in 2-dimensional analysis and could become a way of improving the accuracy and reproducibility of quantification of cell nuclei. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional visualization and quantification of cell nuclei provide valuable medical information that can lead to a more objective diagnosis.
OBJECTIVE: To develop a method for the acquisition and processing of 3-dimensional images based on confocal laser scanning microscopy for the purpose of 3-dimensional visualization and quantitative analysis of cell nuclei. STUDY DESIGN: A contour-based surface rendering method was used, and volume rendering was implemented according to the basic volume rendering pipeline. To extract quantitative features, a 3-dimensional labeling method based on slice information was used. After applying the labeling algorithm, the measurements for 3-dimensional quantitative analysis of nuclei were extracted: nuclear volume, surface area and spherical shape factor. We compared the 3-dimensional features of normal and abnormal cervical cell nuclei. RESULTS: Comparison of the size of 3-dimensional cervical cell nuclei between normal and abnormal revealed a statistically significant difference. The proposed method could overcome the limitation inherent in 2-dimensional analysis and could become a way of improving the accuracy and reproducibility of quantification of cell nuclei. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional visualization and quantification of cell nuclei provide valuable medical information that can lead to a more objective diagnosis.
Authors: Mariam P Auada; Randall L Adam; Neucimar J Leite; Maria B Puzzi; Maria L Cintra; William B Rizzo; Konradin Metze Journal: Anal Quant Cytol Histol Date: 2006-08 Impact factor: 0.302