Segmentation of cardiac structures

Medical image-based 3D cardiac models have grown rapidly in the last fifteen years due to the advance and consolidation of imaging systems such as magnetic resonance, computed tomography and real-time 3D echocardiography. One of the most challenging task in the development of a 3D cardiac model from in-vivo imaging is the segmentation of cardiac structures. This task is the first step aimed at the analysis of heart anatomy and function. Indeed, in recent years, a variety of methods have been developed for cardiac structure segmentation paving the way for “personalized” medicine in the clinical setting. In this chapter we will briefly review the most recent and advanced approaches for cardiac image segmentation. The chapter is organized in three main sections dealing with the imaging modalities used in clinical practice for cardiac structure and function assessment. Each section is divided in paragraphs, in which we will describe the different techniques developed for the specific cardiac structures.