Quantitative Imaging Applications for Radiography and Computed Tomography

Post-acquisition mathematical analysis of medical images can range from simple image processing to complex computer-aided diagnosis. The intent of such manipulation can range from the enhancement of aspects of the image for improved human visualization to artificial intelligence. The tools available for image analysis span the fields of mathematics, statistics, and computer science and incorporate biophysical aspects of the medical image acquisition system. The extraction of quantitative information (or “features”) from medical images and the use of this information to assist radiologists in their medical decision-making process (termed “radiomics”) has expanded medical imaging from a subjective art to much more of an objective science. Radiography, as the most common imaging modality, and computed tomography (CT), as the predominant tomographic imaging modality, both benefit from a vast array of quantitative techniques. Applications include volumetry of tumors and other abnormalities, assessment of response to therapy, patient prognosis, and evaluation of disease severity.