Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine (Jan 2022)

Assessment of Phasic Changes of Vascular Size by Automated Edge Tracking-State of the Art and Clinical Perspectives

  • Luca Mesin,
  • Stefano Albani,
  • Stefano Albani,
  • Piero Policastro,
  • Paolo Pasquero,
  • Massimo Porta,
  • Chiara Melchiorri,
  • Gianluca Leonardi,
  • Carlo Albera,
  • Paolo Scacciatella,
  • Pierpaolo Pellicori,
  • Davide Stolfo,
  • Andrea Grillo,
  • Bruno Fabris,
  • Roberto Bini,
  • Alberto Giannoni,
  • Alberto Giannoni,
  • Antonio Pepe,
  • Antonio Pepe,
  • Leonardo Ermini,
  • Stefano Seddone,
  • Gianfranco Sinagra,
  • Francesco Antonini-Canterin,
  • Silvestro Roatta

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.775635
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8

Abstract

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Assessment of vascular size and of its phasic changes by ultrasound is important for the management of many clinical conditions. For example, a dilated and stiff inferior vena cava reflects increased intravascular volume and identifies patients with heart failure at greater risk of an early death. However, lack of standardization and sub-optimal intra- and inter- operator reproducibility limit the use of these techniques. To overcome these limitations, we developed two image-processing algorithms that quantify phasic vascular deformation by tracking wall movements, either in long or in short axis. Prospective studies will verify the clinical applicability and utility of these methods in different settings, vessels and medical conditions.

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