Similar case image search program, similar case image search apparatus, and similar case image search method

A similar case image search apparatus comprising:

• a memory, and
• a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
• extract a lung field area from a medical image and identify a contour of the lung field area including a chest wall and a mediastinum;
• identify a position at which the chest wall and the mediastinum are internally divided and divide the lung field area into a central area and a peripheral area based on a shape of the lung field area;
• count the number of pixels indicating lesions in each of the divided central area and peripheral area;
• and
• identify a similar case image corresponding to similarity level of the number of pixels indicating lesions by referring to a storage unit that stores the number of pixels indicating lesions in each of the areas.

A similar case image search method performed by a computer, the method comprising:

• extracting a lung field area from a medical image and identifying a contour of the lung field area including a chest wall and a mediastinum;
• identifying a position at which the chest wall and the mediastinum are internally divided and dividing the lung field area into a central area and a peripheral area based on a shape of the lung field area;
• counting the number of pixels indicating lesions in each of the divided central area and peripheral area;
• and
• identifying a similar case image corresponding to similarity level of the number of pixels indicating lesions by referring to a storage unit that stores the number of pixels indicating lesions in each of the areas.