The role of parametric feature maps to correct different volume of interest sizes: an in vivo liver MRI study

BACKGROUND: Different volume of interest (VOI) sizes influence radiomic features. This study examined if translating images into feature maps before feature sampling could compensate for these effects in liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: T1- and T2-weighted sequences from three different scanners (two 3-T scanners, one 1.5-T scanner) of 66 patients with normal abdominal MRI were included retrospectively. Three differently sized VOIs (10, 20, and 30 mm in diameter) were drawn in the liver parenchyma (right lobe), excluding adjacent structures. Ninety-three features were extracted conventionally using PyRadiomics. All images were also converted to 93 parametric feature maps using a pretested software. Agreement between the three VOI sizes was assessed with overall concordance correlation coefficients (OCCCs), while OCCCs > 0.85 were rated reproducible. OCCCs were calculated twice: for the VOI sizes of 10, 20, and 30 mm and for those of 20 and 30 mm. RESULTS: When extracted from original images, only 4 out of the 93 features were reproducible across all VOI sizes in T1- and T2-weighted images. When the smallest VOI was excluded, 5 features (T1-weighted) and 7 features (T2-weighted) were reproducible. Extraction from parametric maps increased the number of reproducible features to 9 (T1- and T2-weighted) across all VOIs. Excluding the 10-mm VOI, reproducibility improved to 16 (T1-weighted) and 55 features (T2-weighted). The stability of all other features also increased in feature maps. CONCLUSIONS: Translating images into parametric maps before feature extraction improves reproducibility across different VOI sizes in normal liver MRI. RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The size of the segmented VOI influences the feature quantity of radiomics, while software-based conversion of images into parametric feature maps before feature sampling improves reproducibility across different VOI sizes in MRI of normal liver tissue. KEY POINTS: • Parametric feature maps can compensate for different VOI sizes. • The effect seems dependent on the VOI sizes and the MRI sequence. • Feature maps can visualize features throughout the entire image stack. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41747-023-00362-9.