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The diagnostic value of texture analysis in predicting WHO grades of meningiomas based on ADC maps: an attempt using decision tree and decision forest

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Abstract

Objectives

The preoperative prediction of the WHO grade of a meningioma is important for further treatment plans. This study aimed to assess whether texture analysis (TA) based on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps could non-invasively classify meningiomas accurately using tree classifiers.

Methods

A pathology database was reviewed to identify meningioma patients who underwent tumour resection in our hospital with preoperative routine MRI scanning and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) between January 2011 and August 2017. A total of 152 meningioma patients with 421 preoperative ADC maps were included. Four categories of features, namely, clinical features, morphological features, average ADC values and texture features, were extracted. Three machine learning classifiers, namely, classic decision tree, conditional inference tree and decision forest, were built on these features from the training dataset. Then the performance of each classifier was evaluated and compared with the diagnosis made by two neuro-radiologists.

Results

The ADC value alone was unable to distinguish three WHO grades of meningiomas. The machine learning classifiers based on clinical, morphological features and ADC value could achieve equivalent diagnostic performance (accuracy = 62.96%) compared to two experienced neuro-radiologists (accuracy = 61.11% and 62.04%). Upon analysis, the decision forest that was built with 23 selected texture features and the ADC value from the training dataset achieved the best diagnostic performance in the testing dataset (kappa = 0.64, accuracy = 79.51%).

Conclusions

Decision forest with the ADC value and ADC map-based texture features is a promising multiclass classifier that could potentially provide more precise diagnosis and aid diagnosis in the near future.

Key Points

• A precise preoperative prediction of the WHO grade of a meningioma brings benefits to further treatment plans.

• Machine learning models based on clinical, morphological features and ADC value could achieve equivalent diagnostic performance compared to experienced neuroradiologists.

• The decision forest model built with 23 selected texture features and the ADC value achieved the best diagnostic performance (kappa = 0.64, accuracy = 79.51%).

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Abbreviations

TA:

Texture analysis

ADC:

Apparent diffusion coefficient

DWI:

Diffusion-weighted imaging

ROI:

Region of interest

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Wang Pei, M.Sc., at Xi`an Jiaotong University, Xi`an, China, for scripting and algorithm support.

Funding

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81471627, 81501435) and Shanghai Sailing Program (Grant No. 18YF1403000).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Yiping Lu and Li Liu contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Rd. Middle, Shanghai, 200040, China

    Yiping Lu, Daoying Geng & Bo Yin

  2. Institution of Functional and Molecular Medical Imaging, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Rd. Middle, Shanghai, 200040, China

    Yiping Lu, Daoying Geng & Bo Yin

  3. Department of Radiology, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, 270 Dongan Road, Shanghai, 200000, China

    Li Liu

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Rd. Middle, Shanghai, 200040, China

    Shihai Luan

  5. Department of Pathology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Rd. Middle, Shanghai, 200040, China

    Ji Xiong

Authors
  1. Yiping Lu
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  2. Li Liu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daoying Geng.

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Guarantor

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Geng Daoying.

Conflict of interest

All authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies, whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article.

Statistics and biometry

No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was waived by IRB.

Ethical approval

Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.

Methodology

• retrospective

• observational

• performed at one institution

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Lu, Y., Liu, L., Luan, S. et al. The diagnostic value of texture analysis in predicting WHO grades of meningiomas based on ADC maps: an attempt using decision tree and decision forest. Eur Radiol 29, 1318–1328 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-018-5632-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-018-5632-7

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