In a method of automatically replacing undesirable pixels in an image, a local neighborhood of pixels is identified around an undesirable pixel. In addition, secondary neighborhoods of pixels are identified and feature values of the pixels contained in the local neighborhood and each of the secondary neighborhoods are calculated. The secondary neighborhoods having feature values within a predetermined range of the local neighborhood feature value are classified as candidates for pixel value replacement. Moreover, a replacement pixel value from at least one of the secondary neighborhoods classified as a candidate for pixel value replacement is determined and the undesirable pixel value is replaced with the replacement pixel value.