Stone detection in MRCP images using controlled region growing

Stones in the biliary tract are routinely identified using MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography). The noisy nature of the images, as well as varying intensity, size and location of the stones, defeat most automatic detection algorithms, making computer-aided diagnosis difficult. This paper proposes a multi-stage segment-based scheme for semi-automated detection of choledocholithiasis and cholelithiasis in the MRCP images, producing good performance in tests, differentiating them from “normal” MRCP images. With the high success rate of over 90%, refinement of the scheme could be applicable in the clinical environment as a tool in aiding diagnosis, with possible applications in telemedicine.