Abstract
Irreguiariy dilated vessels ire the bile duct mucosa arc characteristic findings of carcinoma observed by percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy. The cholangial vascu -tar pattern has subjectively self-similar structure which suggests that these structures play have fractal elements and that the fractal dimension. may be a usefu.l morphometric discriminant. To quantify the cholangial vascu.lar pattern, Fractal analysis was performed. The fractal dirnensions of irnages from videoendoscopic color pictures of 8 regions vascular dilatation and 7 regions of fine distinct vascular patterns were measured by a box-counting method using a microcompu.ter-based on image analysis system All examined vascular patterns were shown to have a fractal structure within the range of scales examined. The fractal dimension of vascular dilatation and fine vascular patterens were 1.48±0.05 and L31±0.08, respectivelly (p<0.05). The fractal dimensions of the vascular pattern is corresponded to structual complexity of vascular pattern. This study shows that cholangial vascular patterns have a fractal structure and that fractal dimension is a useful morphometric discriminant for cholangial vascular pattern.
