QUANTITATIVE DNA-PLOIDY ANALYSIS OF BREAST-CARCINOMA - A STUDY OF THEEFFECTS OF JOINT PHOTOGRAPHER EXPERTS GROUP (JPEG) COMPRESSION ON DNA-PLOIDY IMAGES

Telepathology usage in the past has typically been a qualitative proce dure rather than a quantitative measurement. DNA ploidy using image an alysis has been favorably compared to DNA ploidy analysis by flow cyto metry in numerous publications. A step from DNA ploidy analysis using conventional image analysis to DNA ploidy analysis using scored images allows DNA ploidy analysis by image cytometry to become a powerful to ol in telepathology. Remote DNA ploidy analysis using stored images ha s an impact on the field of pathology, as not every hospital or labora tory can afford to perform this type of specialized resting. However, images have large data files and require lengthy transmission times ov er communication systems to other computers. Joint Photographer Expert s Group (JPEG) compression is a computer algorithm that allows the fil e size of an image to be reduced in order to decrease transmission tim es to another computer. A study was initiated to investigate the effec ts of JPEG compression on images of Feulgen stained breast tumor touch preps and the resulting DNA ploidy histograms. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, I nc.