Serial measurement of cross-sectional area in peripheral vein grafts usingthree-dimensional ultrasound

Frequent surveillance of bypass grafts placed in the lower limbs can provid e early detection of stenoses. A three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound (US) im aging system has been used to produce serial surface reconstructions of reg ions of interest in vein grafts in the lower extremities. Using anatomical reference points, data sets from serial studies are registered in a common 3-D coordinate system. Cross-sectional area measurements are extracted from the surface reconstructions in planes normal to the vessel center axis. Th ese measurements are compared at matched sites over time to track changes i n the vessel configuration. The quantitative measurements are paired with s urface displays of the vessels for a complete depiction of the changing geo metry. Example studies from three patients are shown, for time periods up t o 38 weeks. The cross-sectional area measurements highlight regions of remo deling and developing stenoses within the grafts. (E-mail: leotta@u.washing ton.edu) (C) 2001 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.