title: Automatic segmentation of abdominal organs and adipose tissue compartments in water-fat MRI: Application to weight-loss in obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a fully automatic algorithm for abdominal organs and adipose tissue compartments segmentation and to assess organ and adipose tissue volume changes in longitudinal water-fat magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Axial two-point Dixon images were acquired in 20 obese women (age range 24-65, BMI 34.9±3.8kg/m(2)) before and after a four-week calorie restriction. Abdominal organs, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) compartments (abdominal, anterior, posterior), SAT regions along the feet-head direction and regional visceral adipose tissue (VAT) were assessed by a fully automatic algorithm using morphological operations and a multi-atlas-based segmentation method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The accuracy of organ segmentation represented by Dice coefficients ranged from 0.672±0.155 for the pancreas to 0.943±0.023 for the liver. Abdominal SAT changes were significantly greater in the posterior than the anterior SAT compartment (-11.4%±5.1% versus -9.5%±6.3%, p<0.001). The loss of VAT that was not located around any organ (-16.1%±8.9%) was significantly greater than the loss of VAT 5cm around liver, left and right kidney, spleen, and pancreas (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presented fully automatic algorithm showed good performance in abdominal adipose tissue and organ segmentation, and allowed the detection of SAT and VAT subcompartments changes during weight loss.
authors: Department of Computer Science, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Shen
authors: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Baum
authors: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Cordes
authors: Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Beate
authors: B
authors: Ott
authors: Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; ZIEL Research Center for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Technische Universität München, Germany.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Skurk
authors: Philips Healthcare, Hamburg, Germany.
authors: Hendrik
authors: H
authors: Kooijman
authors: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Ernst J
authors: EJ
authors: Rummeny
authors: Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Nutritional Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; ZIEL Research Center for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Technische Universität München, Germany.
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Hauner
authors: Department of Computer Science, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Bjoern H
authors: BH
authors: Menze
authors: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany. Electronic address: dimitrios.karampinos@tum.de.
authors: Dimitrios C
authors: DC
authors: Karampinos
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001834:Body Water / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009929:Organ Size; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D015431:Weight Loss
keywords: Automatic image segmentation; Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT); Visceral adipose tissue (VAT); Water-fat magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Weight loss