ABSTRACT
CONTENTS 11.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 11.2 Vascular Image Acquisition Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453 11.3 Displaying Vascular Volume Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466 11.4 Vascular Image Segmentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470 11.5 Vascular Image Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488 11.6 Conclusion and Future Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Blood vessels both aid and impede medical procedures. For example, angiogenesis increases bleeding and the risk of complications during tumor resection. Yet, vascular networks provide pathways for a growing number of minimally invasive procedures such as tumor embolization. The publication of this book and the rapid expansion of the use of vascular interventional radiology are indicative of the increasing importance of vascular images, that is, images that detail the location and geometry of a patient’s vasculature. Vascular images play an important role in every phase of clinical care: disease detection and diagnosis, as well as treatment planning, guidance, and assessment. This chapter discusses computer-based methods for vascular images that help clinicians appreciate vascular images in a timely manner.
