title: An integrated automated analysis method for quantifying vessel stenosis and plaque burden from carotid MRI images: combined postprocessing of MRA and vessel wall MR.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We report the evaluation of a semiautomated method for in vivo assessment of the severity of carotid atherosclerosis with minimal user interaction that combines 3-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) and vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Lumen and outer-wall contours were automatically detected, and stenosis and plaque burden were estimated. The method was tested on 22 subjects (352 postcontrast, T1-weighted cross sections and 3-dimensional CE-MRA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed good correlation with expert contours: lumen and outer-wall area (r=0.96) and the degree of stenosis (r=0.97).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fusion of MRA and MRI reduces user interaction and improves contour detection, providing reproducible parameters to assess the severity of atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Image Processing, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. I.M.Adame@lumc.nl
authors.forename: Isabel M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Adame
authors.forename: Patrick J H
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: de Koning
authors.forename: Boudewijn P F
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Lelieveldt
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Wasserman
authors.forename: Johan H C
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Reiber
authors.forename: Rob J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van der Geest
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000592:standards; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index