Review. Automatic Segmentation Techniques of the Coronary Artery Using CT Images in Acute Coronary Syndromes

Abstract

show that in 2012, 31% of all deaths were caused by cardiovascular disease, from which 7.4 million were due to coronary heart disease. 2 Acute coronary syndromes (ACS)are among the most severe complications of atherosclerosis, and the majority, although not all, take place due to atheromatous plaque rupture and subsequent thrombosis.3 Vulnerable atheromatous plaquesThe genesis of the atheroma is triggered by the appearance of a discontinuity in the endothelial layer, followed by an array of complex mechanical, biochemical, and biological mechanisms that will eventually lead to plaque formation. [4][5][6] The formed atherosclerotic plaque will undergo several pathophysiological changes, including the excessive accumulation of oxidized LDL-cholesterol, enhanced local inflammation, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and extracellular matrix degradation, which will eventually lead to its progression and destabilization. This paper presents the main characteristics of plaque vulnerability, the role of CCTA in the assessment of vulnerable plaques, and automatic segmentation techniques of the coronary artery tree based on CT angiography images. A detailed inventory of existing methods is given, representing the state-of-the-art of computational methods applied in vascular system segmentation, focusing on the current applications in acute coronary syndromes.

Modern Concepts in Regenerative Therapy for Ischemic Stroke: From Stem Cells for Promoting Angiogenesis to 3D-Bioprinted Scaffolds Customized via Carotid Shear Stress Analysis

“…This correction could be achieved by the implantation of customized scaffolds at the site of severely stenotic carotid arteries, scaffolds with a 3D geometry preliminarily tested via a computerized simulation of carotid flow. Computational fluid dynamics based on complex image post-processing have become largely available in recent years, allowing flow simulation at different levels in the arterial tree [175]. This is a modern technology largely used nowadays to virtually test implantable devices via determining the pattern of arterial flow in response to the implantation of various biomaterials.…”

Association of Coronary Wall Shear Stress With Atheromatous Plaque Vulnerability: A Systematic Review

“…CFD has been proposed as a valid tool for coronary artery segmentation, generating 3D meshes of the coronary arteries which can allow calculation of the ESS by computing arterial flow [26]. Among the imaging techniques proposed for generating the underlying image datasets for CFD, CTA represents the most frequently used, due to its low cost and high accuracy in comparison with intravascular imaging, representing a more cost-effective technique.…”