Re: Fully automated prostate segmentation on MRI: Comparison with manual segmentation methods and specimen volumes

摘要

Editorial Comment: This study evaluates calculated prostate volumes from 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using measurements for an ellipsoid, manual segmentation and a fully automated segmentation program, and compares these measurements to pathology specimens. Accurate prostate volumes are important in decisions regarding brachytherapy, prostate biopsy and prostatectomy. Often the measurements are obtained using the formula, length x width x height x 0.52, the volume of an ellipsoid. Prostate volume may vary as the prostate shape may not fully match an ellipsoid, especially in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, who can have peculiar bulges and/or an enlarged median lobe. The radiologist or technologist may manually sum the prostate volume. However, these techniques are time consuming. A segmented process for prostate volume is important not only for the urologist or radiation therapist to calculate the volume, but the information may also be used in multiparametric MRI, where the images may be electronically aligned to decrease the misregistration, and segmentation may also be valuable for fusing the MRI with ultrasound for future ultrasound guided biopsy or for MRI positron emission tomographic evaluation.