Medical image processing apparatus and medical observation system

A medical image processing apparatus comprising:

• circuitry configured to:
• specify a defective pixel in a captured image obtained by capturing an image of a subject based on a pixel level of each individual pixel in the captured image that exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the defective pixel being specified independently from pixel levels of surrounding pixels around the defective pixel in the captured image;
• set a correction degree of a defect correction process of making a brightness of the defective pixel approach a brightness of a discrimination area including the surrounding pixels;
• and
• perform the detect correction process according to the correction degree,
• wherein in a case where a range from a lower limit value to an upper limit value of a difference between the brightness of the defective pixel and the brightness of the discrimination area is divided into a first range and a second range in which the difference is larger than that in the first range, the circuitry is configured to set a higher correction degree for a case where the difference is in the second range, in comparison to a case where the difference is in the first range.