Application of computerized image analysis in quantitative microscopy

Digitized images obtained through a light microscope permit quantification of measured parameters. The author has been studying the use of video densitometry to analyze volume fractions of elastic tissue in skin, the localization of B-carotene in atherosclerosis by special ratioing of absorbances at different wavelengths, and the quantification of fluorophores. The application of these techniques of video densitometry to diagnostic pathology offers the possibility of obtaining quantitative information which will be reproducible from laboratory to laboratory; however, these studies must be analyzed with an understanding of the hardware and techniques.<>