PURPOSE: To investigate the performance of a new method of automatic segmentation of prostatic multispectral magnetic resonance images into two zones: the peripheral zone and the central gland. METHODS: The proposed method is based on a modified version of the evidential C-means clustering algorithm. The evidential C-means optimization process was modified to introduce spatial neighborhood information. A priori knowledge of the prostate's zonal morphology was modeled as a geometric criterion and used as an additional data source to enhance the differentiation of the two zones. RESULTS: Thirty-one clinical magnetic resonance imaging series were used to validate the method, and interobserver variability was taken into account in assessing its accuracy. The mean Dice Similarity Coefficient was 89% for the central gland and 80% for the peripheral zone, as validated by a consensus from expert radiologist segmentation. CONCLUSIONS: The method was statistically insensitive to variations in patient age, prostate volume and the presence of tumors, which increases its feasibility in a clinical context.
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