title: Three-dimensional reconstruction of coronary arteries and plaque morphology using CT angiography--comparison and registration with IVUS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to present a new methodology for three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of coronary arteries and plaque morphology using Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA).
  
  
  METHODS
  The methodology is summarized in six stages: 1) pre-processing of the initial raw images, 2) rough estimation of the lumen and outer vessel wall borders and approximation of the vessel's centerline, 3) manual adaptation of plaque parameters, 4) accurate extraction of the luminal centerline, 5) detection of the lumen - outer vessel wall borders and calcium plaque region, and 6) finally 3D surface construction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The methodology was compared to the estimations of a recently presented Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) plaque characterization method. The correlation coefficients for calcium volume, surface area, length and angle vessel were 0.79, 0.86, 0.95 and 0.88, respectively. Additionally, when comparing the inner and outer vessel wall volumes of the reconstructed arteries produced by IVUS and CTA the observed correlation was 0.87 and 0.83, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicated that the proposed methodology is fast and accurate and thus it is likely in the future to have applications in research and clinical arena.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, PO Box 1186, GR 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Lambros
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Athanasiou
authors.affiliation: Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, PO Box 1186, GR 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rigas
authors.affiliation: Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, PO Box 1186, GR 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Antonis I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Sakellarios
authors.affiliation: Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, PO Box 1186, GR 45110, Ioannina, Greece.|FORTH-Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biomedical Research, GR 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Themis P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Exarchos
authors.affiliation: Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, PO Box 1186, GR 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiotis K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Siogkas
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Barts Heart Centre, London, UK.|Department of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Christos V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Bourantas
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Cardiology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Thoraxcenter, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hector M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Garcia-Garcia
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Cardiology, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo, Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Cardiology, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo, Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Breno A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Falcao
authors.affiliation: Michaelidion Cardiac Center and Department of Cardiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, GR 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Lampros K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Michalis
authors.affiliation: Michaelidion Cardiac Center and Department of Cardiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, GR 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Oberdan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Parodi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Pisa, IT 56124, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vozzi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, PO Box 1186, GR 45110, Ioannina, Greece. fotiadis@cc.uoi.gr.|FORTH-Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biomedical Research, GR 45110, Ioannina, Greece. fotiadis@cc.uoi.gr.|Michaelidion Cardiac Center and Department of Cardiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, GR 45110, Ioannina, Greece. fotiadis@cc.uoi.gr.
authors.forename: Dimitrios I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Fotiadis
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*