System and method for volumetric analysis of medical images
The invention relates to a system and a method for analysis and evaluation of at least one anatomical structure in a medical image, said medical image representing at least a part of a patient or person, said system comprising image analyzing means for calculating the volume and/or providing the shape of the at least one anatomical structure, and statistical analyzing means for providing a confidence interval of the volume and/or the shape of the analyzed anatomical structure(s) based on individual data of the patient or person, thereby quantifying the normality of said anatomical structure(s). By the present system and method a detailed and trustworthy confidence interval can be provided in connection with analysis and evaluation of a medical image of a patient, thereby illustrating the expected normality of the patient. The invention can be applied to images acquired from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). One example of use is for diagnosing diseases and/or initial stages of diseases.
1. A method for analyzing and evaluating of at least one anatomical structure in a medical image, said medical image representing at least a part of a patient or person, said method comprising the steps of:
a. mapping and registering the medical image to a reference image thereby segmenting the medical image, wherein the reference image is a segmented medical image based on and averaged over a plurality of medical images obtained from normal persons,
b. analysing the segmented medical image for calculating the volume and/or providing the shape of the said anatomical structure(s), and
c. providing a confidence interval of the volume and/or the shape of the analysed anatomical structure(s) based on individual data of the patient or person by analysing a database comprising information of normal volume and/or shape of said anatomical structure(s) corresponding to said individual data thereby quantifying the normality of said anatomical structure(s).
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said individual data comprises information about at least one of: gender, age, height, weight, genotype, ethnicity, habits, handedness, cognitive measures and/or nationality of the patient or person.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the medical image is normalized prior to analysis of said medical image.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the confidence interval of the volume and/or the shape is provided as:
at least one numerical value,
and/or
a graphical representation in the analysed medical image and/or in the reference image.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the medical image comprises at least a part of the brain of the patient or person.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the medical mage is a magnetic resonance image, a CT image, or an ultrasound image.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the analysed anatomical structure(s) is any segmentable brain structure selected from the group of hippocampus, amygdala, putamen, pons, thalamus, global pallidus, brainstem or cerebellum.
8. The method according to claim 1 for diagnosing a disease, and/or diagnosing the initial stage of a disease, said diagnosis based on the normality and/or the confidence interval of the analysed volume and/or shape of the at least one anatomical structure.
9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the disease is selected from the group of depression, Alzheimer, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, or Parkinson's disease.
10. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium, said computer program product providing a system for analysis and evaluation of at least one anatomical structure in a medical image, said medical image representing at least a part of a patient or person, said computer program product comprising means for carrying out all the steps of the method according to claim 1 .