MTS image analyzer: a software tool to identify mesial temporal sclerosis in MRI images

Abstract

[EN] Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that causes unprovoked and recurrent seizures which according to WHO affects approximately 50 million people worldwide. Functional magnetic resonance images (MRI) help to identify certain affected areas of the brain, namely, the gliosis and hippocampal volume loss. These losses cause complex epilepsy, and is known as hippocampal sclerosis or Mesial Temporal Sclerosis (MTS). This work presents the development of a Computer Aided Diagnosis CAD system software package) that can be used to identify the characteristics and patterns of MTS from brain magnetic resonance images. The image processing techniques involve texture analysis, statistical features, evaluation of the 3D Region of interest (ROI), and threshold analysis. The software allows the automatic evaluation of the degeneration of hippocampal structures, hippocampal volume and signal intensity. We will describe and demonstrate the software (which can currently be accessed on GitHub). It is expected that this tool will be useful in new neurology/radiology specialists and can serve as a secondary diagnosis. However, it is necessary to validate the software system qualitatively and quantitatively in order to get more effectiveness and efficiency in a real-world clinical application.