PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image display apparatus and an image display method which facilitate understanding of properties and conditions of a tumor and degree of tumor invasion.SOLUTION: A normal region with the inner wall of a lumen estimated to be normal is searched. In the normal region, a standard depth position which locates at a predetermined depth from the surface of the inner wall of the lumen in the direction of an outer wall of the lumen is obtained, and phased depth positions which locate at depths deepened gradually from the standard depth position with a predetermined space toward the position of the outer wall of the lumen are obtained. A determination is made as to whether pixel values of image data related to the phased depth positions are the pixel values of a tumor region estimated to be a tumor. When the pixel values are those of the tumor region, the deepest depth position of the tumor region is searched at each position of the inner wall of the lumen. The tumor region at each position of the inner wall of the lumen is identified for each of the deepest depth positions of the tumor region on the basis of the tumor region searched at each position of the inner wall of the lumen and information on the deepest depth positions of the tumor region, and is displayed on a display section by superimposing the tumor region on an image of the lumen.COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT【課題】腫瘍の性状や浸潤の程度を容易に把握することを可能とした画像表示装置及び画像表示方法を提供する。【解決手段】管腔内壁が正常であると推定される正常領域を検索し、正常領域において、管腔内壁の表面から管腔外壁の方向に所定量だけ深くした位置である基準深さ位置を求め、及び、基準深さ位置から管腔外壁の位置に所定間隔で段階的に深くしていった場合の段階的な深さ位置を求め、段階的な深さ位置に係る画像データの画素値が腫瘍であると推定される腫瘍領域の画素値であるか否を判別し、腫瘍領域の画素値であるとの判別を基に、管腔内壁の位置毎に腫瘍領域の最深の深さ位置を検索し、管腔内壁の位置毎に検索した腫瘍領域、及び、腫瘍領域の最深の深さ位置の情報を基に、管腔内壁の各位置における腫瘍領域を、腫瘍領域の最深の深さ位置毎に識別させ、管腔の画像に重ねて表示部に表示させる。【選択図】図1
