Identification of the main arterial branches by whole-body contrast-enhanced MRA in elderly subjects using limited user interaction and fast marching.
OBJECTIVE
To extract a graph model corresponding to a predefined set of arterial branches from whole-body contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) data sets in elderly asymptomatic subjects, a high-incidence group.


METHODS
Maximum intensity projections (MIPs) were used as an interface to place landmarks in the three-dimensional (3D) data sets. These landmarks were linked together using fast marching to form a graph model of the arterial tree. Only vessels of interest were identified.


RESULTS
We tested our method on 10 subjects. We were able to build a graph model of the main arterial branches that performed well in the presence of vascular pathologies, such as stenosis and aneurysm. The results were rated by an experienced radiologist, with an overall success rate of 80%.


CONCLUSIONS
We were able to extract chosen arterial branches in 3D whole-body CE-MRA images with a moderate amount of interaction using a single MIP projection.
Tizon
Xavier
X
Centre for Image Analysis, SLU/Uppsala University, and Department of Oncology, Radiology and Clinical Immunology, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
Lin
Qingfen
Q
Hansen
Tomas
T
Borgefors
Gunilla
G
Johansson
Lars
L
Ahlström
Håkan
H
Frimmel
Hans
H
D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D051598:Whole Body Imaging / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media