Yu Jin Jang BEng, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Helen Hong PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jin Wook Chung MD, Abstract Co-Author: Grant, BTG International Ltd

For liver donor liver transplantation, liver segmentation is difficult due to the variability of its shape across patients and similarity of the density of neighbor organs such as heart, stomach, kidney, and spleen. In this paper, we propose a multi-phase and multi-planar liver segmentation method in portal phase of abdominal contrast-enhanced CT images.

All CT datasets were acquired on ninety-nine living donors using a SIEMENS CT system. Each image had a matrix size of 512x512 pixels with in-plane resolutions ranging from 0.50 to 0.75mm. The slice thickness ranged from 2.0 to 5.0mm and number of images per scan ranged from 68 to 320. For extracting an optimal volume circumscribing a liver, lower and side boundaries are defined by positional information of pelvis, rib, and lungs. The upper boundary is defined by separating the lungs and heart from the liver. For extracting an initial liver volume, optimal liver volume is segmented using adaptively selected threshold through the histogram analysis in upper right-hand portion of the abdominal cavity. For removing neighbor organs from initial liver volume, morphological opening and connected component labeling are applied to multiple planes. For the restoration of missing areas in the liver volume of previous step, the location of missing area is automatically detected and boundary refinement technique is applied to the detected areas. The performance of proposed method was evaluated by visual scoring (1=worst, 5=best) of radiologist. The score was 4.89 for right lobe extraction, 4.12 for left lobe extraction, 4.55 for spleen and stomach elimination, and 4.42 for kidney elimination.

Our optimal liver volume defines an optimal segmented region and minimizes the leakage of liver border to neighbor organs and abdominal wall. Our neighbor organ elimination based on multi-planar anatomy helps to separate liver region from neighbor organs such as heart, stomach, spleen, and kidney. Our liver boundary refinement technique allows the missing left lobe in previous step to be restored.

Our method can be used for the liver volumetry for the pre-surgery planning of living donor liver transplantation.

Jang, Y, Hong, H, Chung, J, Multi-phase and Multi-planar Liver Segmentation for Living Donor Liver Transplantation in Abdominal Contrast-enhanced CT Images.  Radiological Society of North America 2013 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, December 1 - December 6, 2013 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2013/13028606.html