Multi-stencil streamline fast marching: a general 3D framework to determine myocardial thickness and transmurality in late enhancement images

Abstract

We propose a fully three-dimensional methodology for the computation of myocardial non-viable tissue transmurality in contrast enhanced magnetic resonance images. The outcome is a continuous map defined within the myocardium where not only current state-of-the-art measures of transmurality can be calculated, but also information on the location of non-viable tissue is preserved. The computation is done by means of a partial differential equation framework we have called Multi- Stencil Streamline Fast Marching (MSSFM). Using it, the myocardial and scarred tissue thickness is simultaneously computed. Experimental results show that the proposed 3D method allows for the computation of transmurality in myocardial regions where current 2D methods are not able to as conceived, and it also provides more robust and accurate results in situations where the assumptions on which current 2D methods are based —i.e., there is a visible endocardial contour and its corresponding epicardial points lie on the same slice—, are not met.