Quantitative Analysis of Tumor Vasculature
RESEARCH

Tumor vasculature is known to be abnormally shaped (abnomally tortuous). The ability to perform detailed vessel segmentations from MR images permits quantitative, statistical comparisons between the numbers and shapes of vessels in diseased subjects to those of an atlas of healthy subjects. Although we have to date concentrated primarily upon cancer, the same approach is applicable to a range of disease processes.

The approach employs an atlas-based method that makes statistical comparisons between the attributes (shapes, radii, and numbers) of vessel clusters in each test subject and the attributes of vessels clusters situated in the same anatomical region of multiple healthy subjects. For malignancy assessment, we use a "Malignancy Probability" equation based solely upon quantitative vessel tortuosity measurements.

Early results suggest that assessment of tumors by this "Malignancy Probability" equation may be effective both in separating benign from malignant disease and in early assessment of the results of therapy. The same equation used in human subjects is applicable to the mouse (see link at left to mouse imaging). Supported by NIH-NIBIB R01-EB000219
Vessel classification relative to malignant glioma surface. Tumor is shown volume rendered at full and no opacity. Blue = outside. Red = inside. Gold = traversing. Vessels within or traversing the tumor have high frequency "wiggles".
Normalization of vessel shape occurring within 2 months of initiation of successful therapy of metastatic breast cancer. Left=prior to treatment, Right= 2 months into treatment.
REFERENCES

Bullitt E, Gerig G, Pizer SM, Aylward SR (2003) Measuring tortuosity of the intracerebral vasculature from MRA images. IEEE-TMI 22:1163-1171 <pdf>.

Bullitt E, Zeng D, Gerig G, Aylward S, Joshi S, Smith JK, Lin W, Ewend MG (2005) Vessel tortuosity and brain tumor malignancy: A blinded study. Academic Radiology 12:1232-1240. Winner 2006 Herbert M. Stauffer Award by the Association of University Radiologists <pdf>.

Bullitt E, Reardon DA, Smith JS (2007) A Review of Micro and Macro Vascular Analyses in the Assessment of Tumor-Associated Vasculature as Visualized by MR. NeuroImage 37 Supp 1: 116-119. <pdf>.

Bullitt E, Lin NU, Smith JK, Zeng D, Winer EP, Carey LA, Lin W, Ewend MG (2007) Blood Vessel Morphological Changes as Visualized by MRA During Treatment of Brain Metastases. Radiology 245:824-830. Cover article Radiology Dec 2007. <pdf>

 

Last updated Dec 2007