Texture analysis of histological images of giant cell tumor of bone.

To gain an objective evaluation of histological sections of giant cell tumors of bone (GCT) and osteosarcomas, microscopic pictures were taken and their grey-tone image measured, using a flying spot scanner and computer. Various values of eight parameters expressing certain characteristical brightness distribution patterns were computed, and comparatively examined among the three groups of benign GCT, malignant GCT and osteosarcoma. As a result, some parameters could facilitate differentiation between the histological images of these bone tumors. Especially, "angular second moment (ASM)", "Contrast" and "Coefficient of variation (COV)" were useful even for discrimination between malignant and benign GCT. After factor analysis of the values of these parameters, scores of each factor for a number of histological scene images were plotted on a 2-dimensional factor plane. On this plane, which was considered to be a histological feature plane, cases of benign GCT were separated from those of osteosarcoma. Cases of malignant GCT were distributed between the two groups. These results suggest that this method could be valuable for computer evaluation of histological images of benign GCT and osteosarcomas.