Comparison of Different Edge Detections and Noise Reduction on Ultrasound Images of Carotid and Brachial Arteries Using a Speckle Reducing Anisotropic Diffusion Filter

BACKGROUND Common carotid artery (CCA) ultrasound with measurement of intima-media thickness (IMT) is a safe and noninvasive technique for assessing subclinical atherosclerosis and determining cardiovascular risks. Moreover, the pattern of wall thickening in the brachial artery (BA) is rather diffuse compared to the carotid artery and may be a more sensitive indicator of long-term systemic exposure to risk factors. Therefore noninvasive evaluation of mechanical parameters changes of both arteries has gained the attention of researchers. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to compare different edge detection techniques with speckle reducing anisotropic diffusion (SRAD) de-noising filter in ultrasound images of both arteries. PATIENTS AND METHODS In a cross-sectional design, an examination was performed on ten men with mean age of 40 ± 5 years from September 2012 to March 2013 through random sampling. An ultrasonic examination of the left CCA and BA was performed. The program was designed in the MATLAB software to extract consecutive images in JPEG format from the AVI. Another program was designed in the MATLAB software to apply regions of interest (ROI) on the IMT of the posterior wall of common carotid and brachial arteries. Next, different edge detections and SRAD filter were applied to the ROI, separately. Finally, the program measured mean-squared error (MSE) and peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR). RESULTS The lowest values of MSE and highest values of PSNR were achieved by Canny edge detection with de-noising SRAD filter for IMT of left CCA and BA in 90 frames. CONCLUSIONS Based on the result, by measuring the MSE and PSNR, this study showed Canny edge detection with SRAD filter is better than other edge detections in terms of speckle suppression and details preservation in CCA and BA ultrasound images.