3D MRA coronary axis determination using a minimum cost path approach

• Published in: Magnetic resonance in medicine 2002-06, Vol.47 (6), p.1169-1175
• Main Authors: Wink, Onno, Frangi, Alejandro F., Verdonck, Bert, Viergever, Max A., Niessen, Wiro J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3D coronary MRA; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular system; central vessel axis; Coronary heart disease; Coronary Stenosis - diagnosis; Coronary Vessels - anatomy & histology; Heart; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Magnetic Resonance Angiography - methods; Medical sciences; minimum cost path; quantitative coronary analysis; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; vessel visualization
• ISSN: 0740-3194; 1522-2594
• DOI: 10.1002/mrm.10164

A method is introduced to automatically find the coronary axis based on two or more user‐defined points, even in the presence of a severe stenosis. The coronary axis is determined by finding a minimum cost path (MCP) in a feature image in which the tubular‐like structures are enhanced. The results of the proposed method were compared with manually drawn central axes to estimate the accuracy. In 32 3D TFE‐EPI acquisitions of patients and volunteers, 14 right coronary arteries (RCAs), 15 left anterior descending arteries (LADs), and eight left circumflex arteries (LCXs) were manually tracked twice by two operators to determine a reference axis and to assess the inter‐ and intra‐user variability. On average, the maximum distance to the reference axis, based on only two user‐defined points, is less than 1.5 mm; the average distance is around 0.65 mm, which is less than the average in‐plane resolution. The results of the method are comparable to those of the manual operators. Magn Reson Med 47:1169–1175, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.