A method of detecting potential failures from a corrected mask design for an integrated circuit includes steps of receiving as input a corrected mask design for an integrated circuit, searching the corrected mask design to find a critical edge of a polygon that is closer than a selected minimum distance from a polygon edge opposite the critical edge, constructing a critical region bounded by the critical edge and the polygon edge opposite the critical edge, comparing the critical region to a potential defect criterion, and generating as output a location of the critical region when the critical region satisfies the potential defect criterion.