Evaluation of semiautomated internal carotid artery stenosis quantification from 3-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiograms.
OBJECTIVE
The performance of a semiautomatic technique for internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis quantification of the internal carotid artery in contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography was evaluated.


METHODS
The degree of stenosis of 52 ICAs was quantified by measuring the cross-sectional area along the center lumen line. This was performed both by 3 independent observers and the semiautomated method. The degree of stenosis was defined as the amount of cross-sectional lumen reduction.


RESULTS
Agreement between the method and observers was good (weighted-kappa, kappaW = 0.89). Reproducibility of measurements of the semiautomated technique was better (kappaW = 0.97) than that of the observers (kappaW = 0.76), and the evaluated technique was considerably less time-consuming.


CONCLUSIONS
Because the user interaction is limited, this technique can be used to replace an expert observer in 3-dimensional stenosis quantification of the ICA at CE-MRA in clinical practice.
van Bemmel
Cornelis M
CM
University Medical Center, Image Sciences Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Elgersma
Otto E H
OE
Vonken
Evert-Jan P A
EJ
Fiorelli
Marco
M
van Leeuwen
Maarten S
MS
Niessen
Wiro J
WJ
D000368:Aged; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results