Processing Ultrasound Scans of the Inferior Vena Cava: Techniques and Applications.
Piero PolicastroLuca MesinPublished in: Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) (2023)
The inferior vena cava (IVC) is the largest vein in the body. It returns deoxygenated blood to the heart from the tissues placed under the diaphragm. The size and dynamics of the IVC depend on the blood volume and right atrial pressure, which are important indicators of a patient's hydration and reflect possible pathological conditions. Ultrasound (US) assessment of the IVC is a promising technique for evaluating these conditions, because it is fast, non-invasive, inexpensive, and without side effects. However, the standard M-mode approach for measuring IVC diameter is prone to errors due to the vein movements during respiration. B-mode US produces two-dimensional images that better capture the IVC shape and size. In this review, we discuss the pros and cons of current IVC segmentation techniques for B-mode longitudinal and transverse views. We also explored several scenarios where automated IVC segmentation could improve medical diagnosis and prognosis.
Keyphrases
- inferior vena cava
- pulmonary embolism
- deep learning
- vena cava
- convolutional neural network
- magnetic resonance imaging
- computed tomography
- gene expression
- heart failure
- machine learning
- atrial fibrillation
- case report
- magnetic resonance
- intensive care unit
- cross sectional
- ultrasound guided
- left ventricular
- mechanical ventilation
- contrast enhanced ultrasound
- extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- optic nerve