title: Semiautomated Segmentation of Polycystic Kidneys in T2-Weighted MR Images.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the present study is to develop and validate a fast, accurate, and reproducible method that will increase and improve institutional measurement of total kidney volume and thereby avoid the higher costs, increased operator processing time, and inherent subjectivity associated with manual contour tracing.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a semiautomated segmentation approach, known as the minimal interaction rapid organ segmentation (MIROS) method, which results in human interaction during measurement of total kidney volume on MR images being reduced to a few minutes. This software tool automatically steps through slices and requires rough definition of kidney boundaries supplied by the user. The approach was verified on T2-weighted MR images of 40 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease of varying degrees of severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MIROS approach required less than 5 minutes of user interaction in all cases. When compared with the ground-truth reference standard, MIROS showed no significant bias and had low variability (mean ± 2 SD, 0.19% ± 6.96%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MIROS method will greatly facilitate future research studies in which accurate and reproducible measurements of cystic organ volumes are needed.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905.
authors.forename: Timothy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Kline
authors.affiliation: 2 Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
authors.forename: Marie E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Korfiatis
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905.
authors.forename: Zeynettin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Akkus
authors.affiliation: 2 Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
authors.forename: Vicente E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905.
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Erickson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001331:Automation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D016891:Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012984:Software
keywords: autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease; geodesic active contour; planimetry; stereology; total kidney volume