Segmentation of neuroblastoma in CT images using deformable contours, image reconstruction, and convex hulls

• Published in: 3rd IEE International Seminar on Medical Applications of Signal Processing pp. 29 - 34
• Main Authors: Deglint, H.J, Rangayyan, R.M
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Stevenage IEE 2005
• Subjects: Biology and medical computing; Computer vision and image processing techniques; Optical, image and video signal processing; Patient diagnostic methods and instrumentation; X-ray techniques: radiography and computed tomography (biomedical imaging/measurement); X-rays and particle beams (medical uses); computed tomography data; neuroblastoma; convex hulls; image reconstruction; deformable models; deformable contours; computerised tomography; image segmentation; tumor; CT image segmentation; cancer; neurophysiology; slice-by-slice basis; tumours; medical image processing
• ISBN: 9780863415708; 0863415709
• DOI: 10.1049/ic:20050327

Segmentation of the tumor in neuroblastoma is complicated by the fact that the mass is almost always heterogeneous in nature. In this, paper, we propose to use deformable models to determine the tumor boundary on a slice-by-slice basis. The initial contour for the model is obtained from the convex hull of the thresholded result obtained by the application of opening by reconstruction to the original computed tomography data. For calcified tumors, the proposed method worked well; however, for diffuse tumors, the method resulted in under-estimated tumor regions.