Medical image processing device and method

1. A medical image processing device comprising:

extraction means configured to extract a blood vessel region from medical image data;

detection means configured to perform evaluation regarding the shape or signal value distribution information in the periphery of a blood vessel including blood vessel contour points and the margin of blood vessel contour points in the blood vessel region extracted by the extraction means and detecting an abnormal portion on the basis of the evaluation result;

display means configured to display information regarding the abnormal portion detected by the detection means; and

extended contour line setting means configured to set an extended contour line, which extends externally by a predetermined distance in radius direction from the blood vessel region along a blood vessel core line,

wherein the detection means evaluates a signal value on the extended contour line set by the extended contour line setting means and detects the abnormal portion in the periphery of the blood vessel on the basis of the evaluation result.

2. The medical image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the evaluation regarding the shape or the signal value distribution information is performed on the basis of whether or not the shape of a first blood vessel region formed by blood vessel contour points and the margin of blood vessel contour points in the blood vessel region extracted by the extraction means and the shape of a second blood vessel region formed by blood vessel contour points of the blood vessel region are different from each other, and

the detection means performs comparative evaluation regarding the shape or signal value distribution information for the first and second blood vessel regions and detects an abnormal portion on the basis of the evaluation result.

3. The medical image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the extraction means extracts a first blood vessel region, which includes a high signal region with a higher signal value than a predetermined value, and a second blood vessel region, which does not include a high signal region, as the blood vessel region, and

the detection means performs comparative evaluation regarding the shape or signal value distribution information for the first and second blood vessel regions and detects an abnormal portion on the basis of the evaluation result.

4. The medical image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the detection means evaluates, for the blood vessel contour points, smoothness of distribution in a direction of a blood vessel core line and smoothness of distribution on a section perpendicular to the blood vessel core line and detects an abnormal portion in the periphery of the blood vessel on the basis of the evaluation result.

5. The medical image processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

reference creation means configured to set a plurality of normal sections, as reference sections, from the blood vessel region extracted by the extraction means and creating reference shapes and reference signal value distribution information of other sections on the basis of the plurality of set reference sections,

wherein the detection means performs comparative evaluation of the reference shape and the reference signal value distribution information of each section, which are created by the reference creation means, and actual shape and signal value distribution information of the corresponding section and detects an abnormal portion on the basis of the evaluation result.

6. The medical image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection means evaluates constriction of a blood vessel further, and the display means displays an abnormal portion appearing as a constriction and an abnormal portion, which does not appear as a constriction, in different display forms.

7. A medical image processing method comprising:

an extraction step of extracting a blood vessel region from medical image data;

a detection step of performing evaluation regarding the shape or signal value distribution information in the periphery of a blood vessel including blood vessel contour points and the margin of blood vessel contour points in the blood vessel region extracted in the extraction step and detecting an abnormal portion on the basis of the evaluation result;

a display step of displaying information regarding the abnormal portion detected in the detection step; and

a setting step of setting an extended contour line, which extends externally by a predetermined distance in radius direction from the blood vessel region along a blood vessel core line,

wherein the detection step evaluates a signal value on the extended contour line set by the setting step and detects the abnormal portion in the periphery of the blood vessel on the basis of the evaluation result.

8. The medical image processing method according to claim 7 ,

wherein the evaluation regarding the shape or the signal value distribution information is performed on the basis of whether or not the shape of a first blood vessel region formed by blood vessel contour points and the margin of blood vessel contour points in the blood vessel region extracted by the extraction step and the shape of a second blood vessel region formed by blood vessel contour points of the blood vessel region are different from each other, and

in the detection step, comparative evaluation regarding the shape or signal value distribution information is performed for the first and second blood vessel regions and an abnormal portion is detected on the basis of the evaluation result.

9. The medical image processing method according to claim 7 ,

wherein in the extraction step, a first blood vessel region including a high signal region with a higher signal value than a predetermined value and a second blood vessel region not including a high signal region are extracted as the blood vessel region, and

in the detection step, comparative evaluation regarding the shape or signal value distribution information is performed for the first and second blood vessel regions and an abnormal portion is detected on the basis of the evaluation result.

10. The medical image processing method according to claim 7 ,

wherein in the detection step, smoothness of distribution in a direction of a blood vessel core line and smoothness of distribution on a section perpendicular to the blood vessel core line are evaluated for the blood vessel contour points, and an abnormal portion in the periphery of the blood vessel is detected on the basis of the evaluation result.

11. The medical image processing method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a reference creation step of setting a plurality of normal sections, as reference sections, from the blood vessel region extracted in the extraction step and creating reference shapes and reference signal value distribution information of other sections on the basis of the plurality of set reference sections,

wherein in the detection step, comparative evaluation of the reference shape and the reference signal value distribution information of each section, which are created in the reference creation step, and actual shape and signal value distribution information of the corresponding section is performed and an abnormal portion is detected on the basis of the evaluation result.

12. The medical image processing method according to claim 7 , wherein in the detection step, constriction of a blood vessel is further evaluated, and in the display step, an abnormal portion appearing as a constriction and an abnormal portion, which does not appear as a constriction, are displayed in different display forms.

13. The medical image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation result is a difference between a signal value at each point on the extended contour line and an average value of the signal values of points on the extended contour line.