Application of Higuchi’s fractal dimension in analysis of images of Anal Intraepithelial Neoplasia

Abstract To reduce computational complexity, 2-D images of tumors are firstly preprocessed following our method to form two 1-D sequences, called horizontal and vertical landscapes, and then their fractal dimension is estimated using Higuchi’s fractal dimension. We validate application of this method for grading Anal Intraepithelial Neoplasia (AIN) tumors using 120 images of histological slices graded by an experienced pathologist. The method is easy and quick and we demonstrate that it may be successfully applied for differentiation between AIN stages. It can easily be adapted to other histological specimen. Of course, like any other semiautomatic method it may support the pathologist’s decision.