Computer-aided grading of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) using HRCT

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a multisystem disorder associated with proliferation of smooth muscle-like cells, which leads to destruction of lung parenchyma. Subjective grading of LAM on HRCT is imprecise and can be arduous especially in cases with severe involvement. We propose a computer-aided evaluation system that grades LAM involvement based on analysis of lung texture patterns. A committee of support vector machines is employed for classification. The system was tested on 36 patients. The computer grade demonstrates good correlation with subjective radiologist grade (R=0.91, p¿0.0001) and pulmonary functional tests (R=0.85, p¿0.0001). The grade also provides precise progression assessment of disease over time.