Augmented digitally reconstructed radiographs of aortic dissection CTA images

To deal with aortic dissections, physicians require preoperative 3D Computed Tomography Angiography - or CTA - images, then intraoperative 2D fluoroscopic X-ray angiographic images. In one hand, only the injected contrast agent/X-rays combination allows physicians to detect aorta's contour, but it remains very difficult to obtain the adequate acquisition parameters. In another hand, the Digitally Reconstructed Radiograph method allows us to obtain a simulated rendering of a CTA with a fluoroscopic shading, but due to aorta's tissue, the aorta is not visible. In a recent study, we have proposed an interactive segmentation of aortic dissection CTA images which produces a tubular envelope wrapping aorta's wall. In this study, by computing and simply overlapping both Digitally Reconstructed Radiographs of the initial CTA image and of its corresponding tubular envelope image, we easily obtain a 2D view - called Augmented Digitally Reconstructed Radiograph - that makes aorta visible. Thus, such a preoperative work gives physicians a synthesis view the most similar possible to the one acquired during intervention, but with additional features (aorta's contour, aortic dissection features ...). This work will be used to automatically propose the best acquisition parameters, for aortic prostheses implantation.