Use of superpixels for improvement of inter-rater and intra-rater reliability during annotation of medical images.

In the context of automatic medical image segmentation based on statistical learning, raters' variability of ground truth segmentations in training datasets is a widely recognized issue. Indeed, the reference information is provided by experts but bias due to their knowledge may affect the quality of the ground truth data, thus hindering creation of robust and reliable datasets employed in segmentation, classification or detection tasks. In such a framework, automatic medical image segmentation would significantly benefit from utilizing some form of presegmentation during training data preparation process, which could lower the impact of experts' knowledge and reduce time-consuming labeling efforts. The present manuscript proposes a superpixels-driven procedure for annotating medical images. Three different superpixeling methods with two different number of superpixels were evaluated on three different medical segmentation tasks and compared with manual annotations. Within the superpixels-based annotation procedure medical experts interactively select superpixels of interest, apply manual corrections, when necessary, and then the accuracy of the annotations, the time needed to prepare them, and the number of manual corrections are assessed. In this study, it is proven that the proposed procedure reduces inter- and intra-rater variability leading to more reliable annotations datasets which, in turn, may be beneficial for the development of more robust classification or segmentation models. In addition, the proposed approach reduces time needed to prepare the annotations.

A new form of neurotherapy for a patient with anxiety disorder and anomic aphasia after neurosurgery for a ruptured brain aneurysm post-COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a new, neuromarker-based form of neurotherapy for a patient with anxiety disorders and anomic aphasia after a neurosurgical operation for a ruptured brain aneurysm of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA), detected after COVID-19. CASE REPORT: A 78-year-old right-handed patient, not previously treated for any chronic diseases except stage II hypertension, contracted COVID-19, confirmed by real time RT- PCR. He was treated on an outpatient basis. Two months later, he developed an unusually severe headache and disorientation. A ruptured brain aneurysm of the left MCA was diagnosed. The patient underwent a neurosurgical operation - clipping- very well, with no neurological or neuropsychiatric disorders, except for mild aphasia and occasional anxiety attacks. Four weeks after surgery, anxiety disorder and mild aphasia worsened. High levels of anxiety on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) Scale, and mild anomic aphasia in the Boston Naming Test (BNT) was found. A functional neuromarker of anxiety in comparision to a normative database (Human Brain Index, HBI) was detected. The patient was offered a new, neuromarker-based form of neurotherapy, which proved effective in reducing the disorders. The patient improved in social communication and is gradually returning to social activities. CONCLUSION: In patients with anxiety disorders, anomic aphasia and related difficulties in social functioning after aSAH, especially after COVID-19, multidimensional diagnosis and therapy, preferably based on functional neuromarkers, is needed. HBI methodology can be successfully used in the neurodiagnosis and implementation of individualized neurotherapy for such patients.

Endovascular embolization of wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms with the use of pCONus device: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The following study aimed to summarize the overall safety and efficacy of the pCONus device in the treatment of wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Major electronic medical databases were thoroughly searched to identify relevant studies. Data regarding the type of included studies, type of aneurysm and its location, treatment results measured in Raymond-Roy Occlusion Class (RROC) and its complications, as well as patients' neurological outcome at the discharge were extracted from the eligible studies and included in the meta-analysis. The subgroup analyses dependent on the aneurysm rupture status were also conducted. RESULTS: A total of 8 studies (198 patients with 200 aneurysms) were included in this meta-analysis. The most common localization of the treated aneurysms was the middle cerebral artery with its pooled prevalence estimate (PPE) of 44.5%. Immediately after the procedure, RROC I (complete obliteration of the aneurysm) was observed in 46.8%, RROC II in 32.9%, while RROC III (residual aneurysm) in 20.3% of the patients. In a short-term follow-up, PPE of RROC I was 55.0%, RROC II 29.0%, and RROC III 16.1%. The PPE of intraprocedural complications was 17.3%, the most frequent were thromboembolic events, which were observed in 12.1% of all procedures. Poor neurological outcome at the discharge was noted with PPE of 9.6%. CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness and safety of wide-necked bifurcation aneurysm treatment utilizing the pCONus device is moderate. There is still a need for a consensus regarding the effective antiplatelet regimen in furtherance of diminishing the rate of thromboembolic events.

Angiographic and clinical results of anterior communicating artery aneurysm endovascular treatment.

INTRODUCTION: The anterior communicating artery (ACoA) is the most common location of intracranial aneurysms, observed in 35% of cases. Endovascular treatment has become an alternative to surgical clipping and the primary method of choice. AIM: To assess the treatment results of ruptured and unruptured ACoA aneurysms and to assess the incidence of intraprocedural complications and various factors influencing these aspects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and eleven embolizations of ACoA aneurysms (80.7% ruptured and 19.3% unruptured) were retrospectively analysed. The methods of embolization were: coiling, balloon-assisted coiling, stent-assisted coiling. Morphology and dimensions of aneurysms were assessed on 3D digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images. Medical records were analysed for patient's clinical status at admission, intraprocedural complications, follow-up examination and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 1 month after discharge. RESULTS: Immediately after the procedure 56.9% of patients had Raymond-Roy Occlusion Classification (RROC) class I, 37.6% class II and 5.5% class III. The overall intraprocedural complication rate was 6.6%. There were significantly more cases of bleeding (p = 0.012) and coil prolapse (p = 0.012) during the procedures ending with higher packing density. Twenty-eight (25.7%) patients died during hospital stay, 27 (96.4%) with ruptured aneurysm. In the follow-up of 41 patients, RROC was the same or improved in 73.2% of cases and recanalization occurred in 26.8%. Six patients with aneurysm recanalization underwent repeat embolization. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular embolization of ACoA aneurysms is an effective and safe treatment method. The most powerful factor influencing the incidence of complications is packing density. Superior orientation of the dome, initial incomplete embolization and poor outcome in mRS scale are factors predisposing to ACoA aneurysm recurrence.