title: Combining a deformable model and a probabilistic framework for an automatic 3D segmentation of prostate on MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Accurate localization and contouring of prostate are crucial issues in prostate cancer diagnosis and/or therapies. Although several semi-automatic and automatic segmentation methods have been proposed, manual expert correction remains necessary. We introduce a new method for automatic 3D segmentation of the prostate gland from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.
  
  
  METHODS
  A statistical shape model was used as an a priori knowledge, and gray levels distribution was modeled by fitting histogram modes with a Gaussian mixture. Markov fields were used to introduce contextual information regarding voxels' neighborhoods. Final labeling optimization is based on Bayesian a posteriori classification, estimated with the iterative conditional mode algorithm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We compared the accuracy of this method, free from any manual correction, with contours outlined by an expert radiologist. In 12 cases, including prostates with cancer and benign prostatic hypertrophy, the mean Hausdorff distance and overlap ratio were 9.94 mm and 0.83, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This new automatic prostate MRI segmentation method produces satisfactory results, even at prostate's base and apex. The method is computationally feasible and efficient.
authors.affiliation: Inserm, U703, ITM, Pavillon Vancostenobel, CHRU Lille, 59037, Lille, France. nasr.makni@gmail.com
authors.forename: Nasr
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Makni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puech
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Dewalle
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Colot
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Betrouni
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results