title: Diffusion-enhanced visualization and quantification of vascular anomalies in three-dimensional rotational angiography: results of an in-vitro evaluation.
abstract: Three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA) is a new and promising technique for obtaining high-resolution isotropic 3D images of vascular structures. However, due to the relatively high noise level and the presence of other background structures in clinical 3DRA images, noise reduction is inevitable. In this paper, we evaluate a number of linear and nonlinear diffusion techniques for this purpose. Specifically, we analyze the effects of these techniques on the threshold-based visualization and quantification of vascular anomalies in 3DRA images. The results of in-vitro experiments indicate that edge-enhancing anisotropic diffusion filtering is most suitable: the increase in the user-dependency of visualizations and quantifications is considerably less with this technique compared to linear filtering techniques, and it is better at reducing noise near edges than isotropic nonlinear diffusion. However, in view of the memory and computation-time requirements of this technique, the latter scheme may be considered a useful alternative.
authors.affiliation: Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Room E01.335, NL3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands. erik.meijering@epfl.ch
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meijering
authors.forename: Wiro
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Niessen
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weickert
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viergever
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013269:Stochastic Processes