• Journal of KIISE:Software and Applications
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1247-1254
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• 2003

Currently. the north american symptomatic carotid endarterectomy trial, european carotid surgery trial, and common carotid method are used to measure the carotid stenosis for determining candidate for carotid endarterectomy using the projection angiography from different modalities such as digital subtraction angiography. rotational angiography, computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance angiography. A new computerized carotid stenosis measuring system was developed using MR angiography axial image to overcome the drawbacks of conventional carotid stenosis measuring methods, to reduce the variability of inter-observer and intra-observer. The gray-level thresholding is one of the most popular and efficient method for image segmentation. We segmented the carotid artery and lumen from three-dimensional time-of-flight MRA axial image using gray-level thresholding technique. Using the measured intima-media thickness value of common carotid artery for each cases, we separated carotid artery wall from the segmented carotid artery region. After that, the regions of segmented carotid without artery wall were divided into region of blood flow and plaque. The calculation of carotid stenosis degree was performed as the following; carotid stenosis grading is(area measure of plaque/area measure of blood flow region and plaque) * 100%.

• Journal of KIISE:Software and Applications
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.821-828
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• 2003

The virtual angioscopy was implemented using MR angiography image of carotid artery Inside of the carotid artery is one of the body region not accessible by real optical endoscopy but can be visualized with virtual endoscopy. In order to determine the navigation path, we segmented the common carotid artery and internal carotid artery from the MR angiography image. We used the coordinates as a navigation path for virtual camera that were calculated from medial axis transformation. We used the perspective projection and marching cube algorithm to render the surface from volumetric MRA image data. A stroke occurs when brain cells die because of decreased blood flow to the brain. The carotid artery is the primary blood vessel that supplies the blood flow to the brain. Therefore, the carotid artery stenosis is the primary reason of stroke. The virtual angioscopy is highly recommended as a diagnosis tool with which the specific Place of stenosis can be identified and the degree of stenosis can be measured qualitatively. Also, the virtual angioscopy can be used as an education and training tool for endoscopist and radiologist.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.115-122
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• 2013

Disease diagnostics based on medical imaging is getting popularity day by day. Presence of the atherosclerosis is one of the causes of narrowing of carotid arteries which may block partially or fully blood flow into the brain. Serious brain strokes may occur due to such types of blockages in blood flow. Early detection of the plaque and taking precautionary steps in this regard may prevent from such type of serious strokes. In this paper, we present an automatic image segmentation technique for carotid artery ultrasound images based on active contour approach. In our experimental study, we assume that ultrasound images are properly aligned before applying automatic image segmentation. We have successfully applied the automatic segmentation of carotid artery ultrasound images using snake based model. Qualitative comparison of the proposed approach has been made with the manual initialization of snakes for carotid artery image segmentation. Our proposed approach successfully segments the carotid artery images in an automated way to help radiologists to detect plaque easily. Obtained results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.43 no.5 s.311
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• pp.89-100
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• 2006

The carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is very important, because the severity of it is an independent predictor of transient cerebral ischemia, stroke, and coronary events such as myocardial infarction. The conventional image processing to measure the IMT has not been satisfactory, because the methods have relied on the manual section drawing and a regional segmentation by differential estimation. We propose a new image processing technology effective to extract features from the carotid artery image whose pixels have the directional vector properties with composed color distribution. The technique we presented here is not by differential variation but by verification of the layer properties of carotid artery image. Iterated vertical and horizontal analysis and segmentation of the IMT image show the vector characteristics. This new technique makes it possible to cluster the layers statistically, and to classify mathematical correlation between regions and resulting in correct measurements of thickness and its variation. The advantages and effectiveness of this approach are applicable to region process and character extraction of such a vector image.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.128-130
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• 2006

Aneurysms arising from the ophthalmic artery itself are very rare compared with aneurysms originating from the bifurcation of the ophthalmic artery and carotid artery. There was only one reported case of a ruptured aneurysm of the ophthalmic artery itself. We discuss clinical significance of an aneurysm at this site, as well as the role of three dimentional image of multislice computed tomography angiogram[3D-image of MCTA] in determining the cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage[SAH].

• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2007

In this paper, we present a method of detecting the boundary of the intima-media complex for automated measurement based on dynamic programming from carotid artery B-mode ultrasound images and then show the experimental results. We apply the dynamic programming for determining the optimal locations that a cost function is minimized. The cost function includes cost terms which are representing image features such as intensity, intensity gradient and geometrical continuity of the vessel interfaces. Moreover, we improve the boundary continuity by applying the B-spline to smooth the rough boundary due to noise such as speckle, dropout and weak edges. The proposed method has obtained more accurate reproducible results than conventional edge-detection by considering multiple image features and ensures efficient automated measurement by solving the problems of the inter- and intra-observer variability and its inefficiency due to manual measurement.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2016

Background: Moyamoya disease is characterized by a progressive stenosis or occlusion of the intracranial internal carotid artery and/or the proximal portion of the anterior cerebral artery and middle cerebral artery. Whether the onset time was childhood or adulthood, the bony carotid canal diameter might be different, but reflects the size of internal carotid artery passing through the bony carotid canal. In this study, we aimed to identify the relationship between bony carotid canal diameter and clinical manifestation. Methods: 146 consecutive patients diagnosed with moyamoya disease by brain imaging studies were included. We measured the diameter of a transverse portion of bony carotid canal on bone window of a brain computed tomography(CT) image. Patients were divided into two groups, ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke according to clinical manifestation. As a result, 115 patients were included. The Suzuki stage was used as criteria for disease progression. Results: Bony carotid canal diameter was $3.6{\pm}0.5$ (right) and $3.6{\pm}0.4$ (left) in the hemorrhagic stroke group, and $3.7{\pm}0.4$ (right) and $3.6{\pm}0.4$ (left) in the ischemic stroke group. The bony carotid canal diameter of the moyamoya vessels (3.6 mm) was smaller than the diameter of non-moyamoya vessels (3.8 mm), significantly (p = 0.042). However, there was no difference in the collateral patterns and clinical manifestation in a comparison of both groups. Conclusions: In our study, there was no significant difference of clinical manifestations and collateral patterns depend on the bony carotid canal diameter in patients with moyamoya disease. These findings suggest that the clinical presentations of moyamoya disease are not related to the onset time of the disease.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1994.02b
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• pp.169-179
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• 1994

B-mode ultrasound is being used to assess carotid atherosclerosis in epidemiological studies and clinical trials. Recently the interpretation of measurements made from ultrasound images has been questioned. This study examines the anatomical correlates of B-mode ultrasound of carotid arteries in vitro and in situ in cadavers. Twenty-seven segments of human carotid artery were collected at autopsy. pressure perfusion fixed in buffered 2.5% gluteraldehyde and 4% paraformaldehyde and imaged using an ATL UM-8 (10 MHz single crystal mechanical probe). Each artery was then frozen, sectioned and stained with van Gieson or elastin van Gieson. The thickness of the intima. media and adventitia were measured 'to an accuracy of 0.01 mm from histological sections using a calibrated eye graticule on a light microscope. Shrinkage artifact induced by histological preparation was determined to be 7.8%. Digitised ultra sound images of the artery wall were analysed off-line. The distance from the leading edge of the first interface ($LE_{1}$) to the leading edge of the second interface ($LE_2$) was measured using a dedicated programme. $LE_{1}$-$LE_{2}$ measurements were correlated against histological measurements corrected for shrinkage. Mean values for the far wall were: ultra sound $LE_{1}$-$LE_{2}$ (0.97 mm, S.D. 0.26), total wall thickness (1.05 mm, S.D. 0.37), adventitia (0.35 mm, S.D. 0.16), media (0.61 mm, S.D. 0.18). intima (0.09 mm, S.D. 0.13). Ultrasound measurements corresponded best with total wall thickness, rather than elastin or the intima-media complex. Excision of part of the intima plus media or removal of the adventitia resulted in a corresponding decrease in the $LE_{1}$-$LE_{2}$ distance of the B-mode image. Furthermore. increased wall thickness due to intimal atherosclerotic thickening correlated well with $LE_{1}$-$LE_{2}$ distance of the B-mode images. B-mode images obtained from the carotid arteries in situ in four cadavers also corresponded best with total wall thickness measured from histological sections and not with the thickness of the intima plus media. In conclusion, the $LE_{1}$-$LE_{2}$ distance measured on B-mode images of the carotid artery best represents total wall thickness of intima plus media plus adventitia and not intima plus media alone.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.67-70
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• 2017

We present a metastatic carcinoma from the breast to the neck soft tissue around common carotid artery, with a rare finding of voice change. A 60 year-old female patient presented with voice change for 7 months. Neck ultrasound revealed a soft tissue mass between internal jugular vein and common carotid artery. Result of fine needle aspiration biopsy was a metastatic carcinoma. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance image revealed $2.5{\times}3.0cm$ sized irregular marginated soft tissue mass in right lower neck encasing common carotid artery and internal jugular vein. Surgical resection was performed and pathologic result with immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the diagnosis of a metastatic invasive ductal carcinoma originated from breast.

• International Journal of Vascular Biomedical Engineering
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.25-30
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• 2006

We intended to measure the IT, MT, and the IMT of carotid artery separately and tried to analyze the clinical significance. Two hundred and fifty consecutive patients (125 males, 125 females) underwent carotid artery scanning using high-resolution ultrasound. The images were off-line analyzed using B-mode ultrasound image processing, devised in our research. We measured the IT, MT, and IMT semi-automatically at the far wall of designated 1cm length of the right common carotid and calculated the average values over the 200 points. The IT (p < 0.05), MT (p < 0.05) as well as IMT (p < 0.01) of patients with atherosclerotic disease were significantly thicker than that of the patients without atherosclerotic disease. Patients with hypertension showed significantly thicker IT (p < 0.05), MT (p < 0.01), and IMT (p < 0.01) than that of the patients without hypertension. However, only IT was thicker in patients with smoking (p < 0.05) than that of the patients without smoking. Smoking was associated only with intima while hypertension was associated with the all three layer's thickness. This result suggests the atherosclerotic process can be different by cardiovascular risk factors.