Current methods in medical image segmentation

Image segmentation plays a crucial role in many medical-imaging application s, by automating or facilitating the delineation of anatomical structures a nd other regions of interest. We present a critical appraisal of the curren t status of semi-automated and automated methods for the segmentation of an atomical medical images. Terminology and important issues in image segmenta tion are first presented. Current segmentation approaches are then reviewed with an emphasis on the advantages and disadvantages of these methods for medical imaging applications. We conclude with a discussion on the future o f image segmentation methods in biomedical research.