Quantitative analysis of vascular morphology from 3D MR angiograms: In vitro and in vivo results

A 3D model‐based approach for quantification of vascular morphology from several MRA acquisition protocols was evaluated. Accuracy, reproducibility, and influence of the image acquisition techniques were studied via in vitro experiments with ground truth diameters and the measurements of two expert readers as reference. The performance of the method was similar to or more accurate than the manual assessments and reproducibility was also improved. The methodology was applied to stenosis grading of carotid arteries from CE MRA data. In 11 patients, the approach was compared to manual scores (NASCET criterion) on CE MRA and DSA images, with the result that the model‐based technique correlates better with DSA than the manual scores. Spearman's correlation coefficient was 0.91 (P < 0.001) for the model‐based technique and DSA vs. 0.80 and 0.84 (P < 0.001) between the manual scores and DSA. From the results it can be concluded that the approach is a promising objective technique to assess geometrical vascular parameters, including degree of stenosis. Magn Reson Med 45:311–322, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

[1]  A. Beckett,et al.  AKUFO AND IBARAPA. , 1965, Lancet.

[2]  R. Kruger.  Estimation of the diameter of and iodine concentration within blood vessels using digital radiography devices. , 1981, Medical physics.

[3]  D. Altman,et al.  STATISTICAL METHODS FOR ASSESSING AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO METHODS OF CLINICAL MEASUREMENT , 1986, The Lancet.

[4]  D Saloner,et al.  Artifacts in maximum-intensity-projection display of MR angiograms. , 1990, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[5]  H E Cline,et al.  Volume rendering and connectivity algorithms for MR angiography , 1991, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[6]  L. Wilkins.  North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial. Methods, patient characteristics, and progress. , 1991, Stroke.

[7]  A. Buchan,et al.  *North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) Steering Committee. North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial Methods, Patients Characteristics and Progress. , 1991 .

[8]  J R Waugh,et al.  Arteriographic complications in the DSA era. , 1992, Radiology.

[9]  C A Mistretta,et al.  Relative charaterisitics of MR angiography and competing vascular imaging modalities , 1993, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[10]  Robert R. Edelman,et al.  Fat‐Suppressed Breath‐Hold Magnetic Resonance Coronary Angiography , 1993, Circulation.

[11]  M. Prince.  Gadolinium-enhanced MR aortography. , 1990, Radiology.

[12]  Yiping P. Du,et al.  Reduction of partial‐volume artifacts with zero‐filled interpolation in three‐dimensional MR angiography , 1994, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[13]  D Saloner,et al.  Assessment of carotid artery stenosis by ultrasonography, conventional angiography, and magnetic resonance angiography: correlation with ex vivo measurement of plaque stenosis. , 1995, Journal of vascular surgery.

[14]  R. F. Smith,et al.  Geometric characterization of stenosed human carotid arteries. , 1996, Academic radiology.

[15]  K. C. Li,et al.  MR angiography of abdominal ischemia. , 1996, Seminars in ultrasound, CT, and MR.

[16]  R L Galloway,et al.  Comparison of projection algorithms used for the construction of maximum intensity projection images. , 1996, Journal of computer assisted tomography.

[17]  E. Larsson,et al.  Evaluation of Time-of-Flight and Phase-Contrast MRA Sequences at 1.0 T for Diagnosis of Carotid Artery Disease , 1996, Acta radiologica.

[18]  K. Thuomas,et al.  MR Angiography of Abdominal and Peripheral Arteries , 1996, Acta radiologica.

[19]  M. Takahashi,et al.  Intracranial vascular stenosis and occlusion: MR angiographic findings. , 1997, AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology.

[20]  W. Mali,et al.  MRA flow quantification in patients with a symptomatic internal carotid artery occlusion. The Dutch EC-IC Bypass Study Group. , 1997, Stroke.

[21]  W. Mali,et al.  Flow volume changes in the major cerebral arteries before and after carotid endarterectomy: an MR angiography study. , 1997, European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery : the official journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery.

[22]  Yoshinobu Sato,et al.  A viewpoint determination system for stenosis diagnosis and quantification in coronary angiographic image acquisition , 1998, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging.

[23]  K C Li.  Mesenteric occlusive disease. , 1998, Magnetic resonance imaging clinics of North America.

[24]  Alejandro F. Frangi,et al.  Muliscale Vessel Enhancement Filtering , 1998, MICCAI.

[25]  J. Slattery,et al.  Randomised trial of endarterectomy for recently symptomatic carotid stenosis: final results of the MRC European Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST) , 1998, The Lancet.

[26]  M. Viergever,et al.  Limits to the accuracy of vessel diameter measurement in MR angiography , 1998, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[27]  M. Viergever,et al.  MR phase‐contrast flow measurement with limited spatial resolution in small vessels: Value of model‐based image analysis , 1999, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[28]  W. Mali,et al.  Maximum internal carotid arterial stenosis: assessment with rotational angiography versus conventional intraarterial digital subtraction angiography. , 1999, Radiology.

[29]  Alejandro F. Frangi,et al.  Model-based quantitation of 3-D magnetic resonance angiographic images , 1999, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging.

[30]  Max A. Viergever,et al.  Retrospective motion correction in digital subtraction angiography: a review , 1999, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging.