Quantification of Liver Tumors Using Statistical Characteristics of Ultrasonic RF Signals
We propose a method for quantification of liver tumors using statistical characteristics of ultrasonic RF signals. Parameters of K distribution show the characteristics of a soft tissue. The proposed method of chi-square test(CST) can estimate the most appropriate parameters of K distribution, which are fitted to an observed amplitude distribution. Method of moment(MOM), method combining maximum likelihood and MOM(ML/MOM), and CST are compared on simulated RF signals. The CST is applied to RF signals of liver tumors including 38 hepatocellular carcinomas(malignancy) and 12 hepatic hemangiomas(benignancy). The accuracy of discriminant analysis are 78% and 50% for malignancy and benignancy, respectively.