Ex vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres.
PURPOSE
The aims of this work were to (a) develop an approach for ex vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres that does not contaminate the results of histopathological examination, (b) longitudinally assess regional brain volumes postmortem, and (c) investigate the relationship between MR volumetric measurements performed in vivo and ex vivo.


METHODS
An approach for ex vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres was developed. Five hemispheres from elderly subjects were imaged ex vivo longitudinally. All datasets were segmented. The longitudinal behavior of volumes measured ex vivo was assessed. The relationship between in vivo and ex vivo volumetric measurements was investigated in seven elderly subjects imaged both antemortem and postmortem.


RESULTS
This approach for ex vivo MR volumetry did not contaminate the results of histopathological examination. For a period of 6 months postmortem, within-subject volume variation across time points was substantially smaller than intersubject volume variation. A close linear correspondence was detected between in vivo and ex vivo volumetric measurements.


CONCLUSION
Regional brain volumes measured with this approach for ex vivo MR volumetry remain relatively unchanged for a period of 6 months postmortem. Furthermore, the linear relationship between in vivo and ex vivo MR volumetric measurements suggests that this approach captures information linked to antemortem macrostructural brain characteristics.
['Kotrotsou|Aikaterini|A|', 'Bennett|David A|DA|', 'Schneider|Julie A|JA|', 'Dawe|Robert J|RJ|', 'Golak|Tom|T|', 'Leurgans|Sue E|SE|', 'Yu|Lei|L|', 'Arfanakis|Konstantinos|K|']
D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D000465:Algorithms D001344:Autopsy D001921:Brain D002102:Cadaver D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007089:Image Enhancement D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional D066298:In Vitro Techniques D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging D008297:Male D009929:Organ Size D015203:Reproducibility of Results D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
ex vivo volumetry segmentation MRI