ABSTRACT
Bone scintigraphy images might exceed the dynamic range (the ratio between the highest and the lowest displayable brightness) of the monitor. In such a case, a high-intensity area accompanied by loss of detail in other structures in the displayed image make the clinical interpretation challenging. We have investigated the role of an intensity-transformation (IT) function in enhancement of these types of images. Methods: Forty high-dynamic-range bone scintigraphy images were processed using an IT function. The IT function has 2 parameters: threshold and slope. With the threshold kept equal to the mean count of the image, the slope was varied from 1 to 20. A software program developed in-house was used to process the images. Twenty output images corresponding to one input image were visually inspected by 2 experienced nuclear medicine physicians to select images of diagnostic quality, and from their selection was determined the standardized slope that produced the maximum number of diagnostic images. The 2 physicians also scored the quality of the input and output images (at the standardized slope) on a scale of 1-5. The Student t test was used to determine the significance of differences in mean score between the input and output images at an α significance level of 0.05. Results: Application of the IT function with standardized parameters significantly improved the quality of high-dynamic-range bone scintigraphy images (P < 0.001, with α = 0.05). A slope of 8 maximized the number of diagnostic images. Conclusion: The IT function has a significant role in enhancing high-dynamic-range bone scintigraphy images.
