We investigated a number of image processing techniques for enhancing the retinal nerve fiber layer (NFL) in fundus photographs taken with red-free light. Wedge-type defects within the NFL were enhanced best by contrast enhancement algorithms such as histogram modification and extremum sharpening. Narrow, slitlike NFL defects can be enhanced by directional enhancement techniques. Normal NFL fea...

With the existence of biologically distinctive malignant cells originated within the same tumor, intratumor functional heterogeneity is present in many cancers and is often manifested by the intermingled vascular compartments with distinct pharmacokinetics. However, intratumor vascular heterogeneity cannot be resolved directly by most in vivo dynamic imaging. We developed multi-tissue compartme...

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) has demonstrated high sensitivity for detection of breast cancer. Analysis of correlation between quantitative DCE-MRI findings and prognostic factors (such as histological tumour grade) is important for defining the role of this technique in the diagnosis of breast cancer as well as the monitoring of neoadjuvant therapies. This paper presents a practical...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to analyze biomechanical properties of a novel wedge locking plate in medial open wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) in a porcine tibial model. METHODS A uniform 8-mm OWHTO was performed in 12 porcine tibiae. Six of them were subsequently fixed with the plate without a wedge, whereas the other 6 were additionally reinforced with a metal wedge of 8 mm....

PURPOSE We aimed to prospectively assess the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in the evaluation of predictive factors for breast conservative surgery during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty-six patients were evaluated before the first treatment cycle, after the second cycle, and upon the completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy accordin...

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) is a powerful protocol for assessing tumour progression from changes in tissue contrast enhancement. Manual colorectal tumour delineation is a challenging and time consuming task due to the complex enhancement patterns in the 4D sequence. There is a need for a consistent approach to colorectal tumour segmentation in DCE-MRI and we p...

BACKGROUND For the statistical analysis of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) data, compartment models are a commonly used tool. By these models, the observed uptake of contrast agent in some tissue over time is linked to physiologic properties like capillary permeability and blood flow. Up to now, models of different complexity have been used, and it is still unclea...

PURPOSE To develop a k-space formalism that provides a rationale for the design of variable-rate acquisition schemes for dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). METHODS AND MATERIALS The formalism, termed spatio-temporal bandwidth-based (STBB) analysis, is demonstrated using a priori modeling of object and enhancement characteristics typically observed in DCE-MRI of br...

PURPOSE To develop and test a nonlocal means-based reconstruction algorithm for undersampled 3D dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS We propose a reconstruction technique that is based on the recently proposed nonlocal means (NLM) filter which can relax trade-offs in spatial and temporal resolutions in dynamic imaging. Unlike the or...

PURPOSE To identify the optimal combination of pharmacokinetic model and arterial input function (AIF) for quantitative analysis of blood perfusion in the patellar bone using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS This method design study used a random subset of five control subjects from an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved case-control ...