A multi-scan MRI-based virtual cystoscopy

Computed tomography (CT) based virtual cystoscopy (VC) has been studied as a potential tool for screening bladder cancer. It is accurate in localizing tumor of size larger than 1 cm and less expensive, as compared to fiberoptic cystoscopy. However, it is invasive and difficult to perform due to using Foley catheter for bladder insufflating with air. In a previous work, we investigated a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based VC scheme with urine as a natural contrast solution, in which a MRI acquisition protocol and an adaptive segmentation method were utilized. Both bladder lumen and wall were successfully delineated. To suppress motion artifact and insight pathological change on the bladder wall images, a multi-scan MRI scheme was presented in this study. One transverse and another coronal acquisitions of Tl-weighted that cover the whole bladder were obtained twice, at one time the bladder is full of urine and at another time it is near the empty. Four bladder volumes extracted from those 4 datasets were registered first using a flexible three-dimensional (3D) registration algorithm. Then, associated 4 lumen surfaces were viewed simultaneously with the help of an interactive 3D visualization system. This MRIbased VC was tested on volunteers and demonstrated the feasibility to mass screening for bladder cancer.