An improved graph cut segmentation method for cervical lymph nodes on sonograms and its relationship with node's shape assessment

作者：Zhang Junhua; Wang Yuanyuan^*; Shi Xinling

来源：Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics, 2009, 33(8): 602-607.

DOI：10.1016/j.compmedimag.2009.06.002

• Graph cut
• Cervical lymph node
• Sonogram
• Elliptical shape prior
• Short axis to long axis ratio (S/L)

A modified graph cut was proposed under the elliptical shape constraint to segment cervical lymph nodes on sonograms, and its effect on the measurement of short axis to long axis ratio (S/L) was investigated by using the relative ultimate measurement accuracy (RUMA). Under the same user inputs, the proposed algorithm successfully segmented all 60 sonograms tested, while the traditional graph cut failed. The mean RUMA resulted from the developed method was comparable to that resulted from the manual segmentation. Results indicated that utilizing the elliptical shape prior could appreciably improve the graph cut for nodes segmentation, and the proposed method satisfied the accuracy requirement of S/L measurement.

• 出版日期2009-12
• 单位云南大学; 复旦大学