title: Isosurface-based generation of hulls encompassing neuronal pathways.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diffusion tensor imaging provides information about the location of white matter tracts within the human brain. For neurosurgery, this imaging technique is of major interest in order to minimize the risk of postoperative neurological deficits. In preoperative planning, fiber tracking algorithms based on streamline propagation are used in order to reconstruct major fiber tracts. The resulting streamline bundles approximate the course of the underlying white matter structures and indicate their shape and location in 3 dimensions as well as the spatial relation with respect to surrounding anatomy. However, for intraoperative application in combination with the neuronavigation system, these streamline representations are not adequate. Hulls encompassing the streamline bundles are necessary, since the boundary curves of hulls can be superimposed on the operating room (OR) microscope view for guidance in neurosurgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this work, we present a novel hull approach which is based on rasterization and isosurface extraction, combined with surface filtering techniques. The advantages of this approach are its robustness and the possibility to control the tightness of wrapping.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The approach makes it possible to generate precise hulls for different tract systems, which can be used as a basis for intraoperative visualization in the OR microscope. Distance measurements further confirm the accuracy of the hulls.
authors.affiliation: Computer Graphics Group, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany. dorit.merhof@informatik.uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Dorit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merhof
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meister
authors.forename: Ezgi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bingol
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nimsky
authors.forename: Günther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Greiner
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology*; D038361:Neuronavigation / Q000379:methods; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*