CADA: Clinical Background and Motivation

Abstract

Imaging of cerebral aneurysms using DSA, MRI or CTA plays a key role in diagnosis, decision for treatment or observation, treatment planning either as microsurgical clipping or as endovascular intervention including filling of the aneurysm with coils, implantation of flow diverter in the parent vessel or filling the aneurysm with liquid embolic agents. Additionally, imaging is used in long-term follow-up of treated and untreated aneurysms. Imaging tasks and challenges include detection of aneurysms especially of aneurysms smaller than 3 mm, accurate quantitative analysis of geometric parameters assessing size and shape necessary for rupture risk assessment as well as treatment decision and eventually the type of treatment. Finally, image-based computational fluid dynamics analysis of hemodynamic risk parameters requires accurate segmentation and reconstruction of anatomical structures. These objectives motivated us to initiate the Cerebral Aneurysm Detection and Analysis (CADA) challenge. It is based on datasets of 3D rotational angiographies, the "gold standard" for clinical management of cerebral aneurysms. Datasets stem from patients with unruptured and ruptured aneurysms.