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International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery

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01-07-2014 | Original Article

Simultaneous extraction of carotid artery intima-media interfaces in ultrasound images: assessment of wall thickness temporal variation during the cardiac cycle

Authors: Guillaume Zahnd, Maciej Orkisz, André Sérusclat, Philippe Moulin, Didier Vray

Published in: International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery | Issue 4/2014

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this work is to present and evaluate a novel segmentation method for localizing the contours of the intima-media complex in the carotid artery wall through longitudinal ultrasound B-mode imaging. The method is used to investigate the association between atherosclerosis risk factors and the cyclic variation of the intima-media thickness during the heart beat.

Methods

The framework introduced is based on two main features. The first is a simultaneous extraction of both the lumen-intima and the media-adventitia interfaces, using the combination of an original shape-adapted filter bank and a specific dynamic programming scheme. The second is an innovative spatial transformation that eases the extraction of skewed and curved contours, and exploits the result from the previous image as a priori information, when processing the current image. The intima-media thickness is automatically derived from the estimated contours for each time step during the cardiac cycle. Our method was evaluated in vivo on 57 healthy volunteers and 25 patients at high cardiovascular risk. Reference contours were generated for each subject by averaging the tracings performed by three experienced observers.

Results

Segmentation errors were \(29 \pm 27\,\upmu \hbox {m}\) for the lumen-intima interface, \(42 \pm 38\,\upmu \hbox {m}\) for the media-adventitia interface, and \(22 \pm 16\,\upmu \hbox {m}\) for the intima-media thickness. This uncertainty was similar to inter- and intra-observer variability. Furthermore, the amplitude of the temporal variation in thickness of the intima-media layers during the cardiac cycle was significantly higher in at-risk patients compared to healthy volunteers \((79 \pm 36\) vs. \(64 \pm 26\,\upmu \hbox {m},\, p=0.032)\).

Conclusion

The method proposed may provide a relevant diagnostic aid for atherosclerosis screening in clinical studies.

We drop \(n\) to simplify the notations, when it is not confusing, since all the subsequent steps detailed in this section are performed on the same time-point \(n\).

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Title: Simultaneous extraction of carotid artery intima-media interfaces in ultrasound images: assessment of wall thickness temporal variation during the cardiac cycle
Authors: Guillaume Zahnd
Maciej Orkisz
André Sérusclat
Philippe Moulin
Didier Vray
Publication date: 01-07-2014
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery / Issue 4/2014
Print ISSN: 1861-6410
Electronic ISSN: 1861-6429
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-013-0945-0

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Simultaneous extraction of carotid artery intima-media interfaces in ultrasound images: assessment of wall thickness temporal variation during the cardiac cycle

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion

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