Integration of Topological Constraints in Medical Image Segmentation

Topology is a strong global constraint that can be useful in generating geometrically accurate segmentations of anatomical structures. Conversely, topological “defects” or departures from the true topology of a structure due to segmentation errors can greatly reduce the utility of anatomical models. In this chapter we cover methods for integrating topological constraints into segmentation procedures in order to generate geometrically accurate and topologically correct models, which is critical for many clinical and research applications.