Automatic Layer Generation for Scar Transmurality Visualization

In 2014, about 26 million people were suffering from heart failure. Symptomatic heart failure is treated by cardiac resynchronization therapy. However, 30 % to 50 % do not clinically respond after the implantation of a biventricular pacemaker. To improve the success rate, the quantification of a patient’s scar burden is very important. Lategadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging is used to visualize regions of scarring in the left ventricle. Scar is very hard to visualize and interpret in 3-D. To solve this, an automated scar layer generation method is proposed. The scar is divided into layers and an interactive scrolling is provided. This method allows for precise treatment planning. With the scar layer visualization, eight clinical experts were asked to decide if the scar is epicardial or endocardial. The correct location was identified in 93.75 % of the cases using the scar layer visualization.