Correlation between histopathological image and radiographic image pattern in fibro-osseous lesions in relation to bone complexity and distribution.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined correlations between radiographic patterns and the shape of osteoid tissue formations, as determined histopathologically.
METHODS: 20 cases of fibro-osseous lesions were investigated, comprising 5 radiographic patterns: focal (n = 3), target (n = 6), lucent (n = 4), calcification (n = 3) and multiconfluent (n = 4). Histopathological images in the central area of a full-section specimen were transformed into binary images and then into 8-bit scale images. Bone complexity and density of bone distribution were calculated and compared between patterns.
RESULTS: Bone complexity score was 7384.64 for lucent, 2029.85 for focal, 2713.40 for multiconfluent, 8388.63 for calcification and 1364.27 for target pattern. The results could be broadly separated into two types: small (target, focal and multiconfluent patterns), and large (lucent and calcification patterns). Density of bone distribution was relatively low in all areas for lucent and calcification patterns, and high for focal, multiconfluent and target patterns. No significant differences in bone complexity or density of bone distribution were seen between individual patterns.
CONCLUSIONS: Correlations appear to exist between image patterns from radiography and the shape of osteoid tissue on histopathology, but reorganization of the five patterns may be warranted.