title: Quantification of intracranial aneurysm morphodynamics from ECG-gated CT angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aneurysm morphodynamics is potentially relevant for assessing aneurysm rupture risk. A method is proposed for automated quantification and visualization of intracranial aneurysm morphodynamics from electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated computed tomography angiography (CTA) data.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was performed in 19 aneurysms from 14 patients with diagnostic workup for recently discovered aneurysms (n = 15) or follow-up of untreated known aneurysms (n = 4). The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the hospital and written informed consent was obtained from each patient. An image postprocessing method was developed for quantifying aneurysm volume changes and visualizing local displacement of the aneurysmal wall over a heart cycle using multiphase ECG-gated (four-dimensional) CTA. Percentage volume changes over the heart cycle were determined for aneurysms, surrounding arteries, and the skull.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pulsation of the aneurysm and its surrounding vasculature during the heart cycle could be assessed from ECG-gated CTA data. The percentage aneurysmal volume change ranged from 3% to 18%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ECG-gated CTA can be used to study morphodynamics of intracranial aneurysms. The proposed image analysis method is capable of quantifying the volume changes and visualizing local displacement of the vascular structures over the cardiac cycle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. a.firouzian@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: Azadeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Firouzian
authors.forename: Rashindra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manniesing
authors.forename: Coert T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Metz
authors.forename: Roelof
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Risselada
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Fop
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van Kooten
authors.forename: Miriam C J M
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Sturkenboom
authors.forename: Aad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Lugt
authors.forename: Wiro J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Niessen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D055424:Cardiac-Gated Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*