title: Volumetric analysis of MRI data monitoring the treatment of polycystic kidney disease in a mouse model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The human condition autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by the growth of cysts in the kidneys that increase renal volume and lead to kidney failure. Mice studies are performed for treatment development monitored with imaging. The analysis of the imaging data is typically manual, which is costly and potentially biased. This paper presents a reliable and reproducible method for the automated segmentation of polycystic mouse kidneys.
  
  
  METHODS
  Treated and untreated mice have been imaged longitudinally with high field anatomic MRI. The region of interest (ROI) of the kidneys in the images is identified and restored for artifacts. It is then analyzed statistically and geometric models are estimated for each kidney. The statistical and geometric information are provided to the graph cuts algorithm that delineates the kidneys.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The accuracy of the analysis has been demonstrated by showing consistency with results obtained with previous methods as well as by comparing with manual segmentations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The method developed can accelerate and improve the accuracy of kidney volumetry in preclinical treatment trials for ADPKD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical Physics, University Medical Center Freiburg, 60a Breisacher Street, 79106 Freiburg, Germany. efstathios.hadjidemetriou@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Stathis
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hadjidemetriou
authors.forename: Wilfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reichardt
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hennig
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buechert
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: von Elverfeldt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D009025:Morpholines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009929:Organ Size; D016891:Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013141:Spiro Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D009025:Morpholines; D013141:Spiro Compounds; C103281:satavaptan; D020123:Sirolimus