Possibilities of radiomics in processing data of CT scan of the chest organs in diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

The article shows the possibility of applying radiomics in the processing of chest CT data in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Currently, a subjective method based on the knowledge and experience of a radiologist is used to process CT images. A new approach to CT image analysis can fundamentally change the diagnostic process. Its essence is to create mathematical models and computer algorithms that take medical images as input and produce pathophysiological features of tissues.Dragonfly software, provided free of charge by OBYECT RESERCH SYSTEMS (ORS), Montreal, Canada, is used for CT slice analysis, which enables segmentation, mathematical and statistical processing of images, construction of ordinary and segmented histograms. To work with the program, dicom - CT files are transformed into raster files (Tiff, Jpeg, Raw) and further analysis of CT slices is performed by grayscale gradations (behind image pixels, not behind dicom file voxels). It should be emphasized that the grayscale analysis correlates with the Hounsfield units.It has been shown that based on the data of pathomorphological examination of the affected tissue, it is impossible to determine the difference between chemoresistant and susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis.Processing of CT data with the construction of conventional and segmental histograms using Dragonfly software tools makes it possible to identify pathophysiological features of tissues in the diagnosis of sensitive and chemoresistant pulmonary tuberculosis. Further research is needed to identify patterns and differences in the determination of densities in the diagnosis of sensitive and chemoresistant pulmonary tuberculosis.